Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file

Identifying National System Conservation Gaps

  > National System  > Identifying Conservation Gaps


Identifying National System Conservation Gaps

The purpose of the ecological gap analysis is to inform the MPA planning efforts of marine management agencies across all levels of government by identifying coastal, estuarine, marine and Great Lakes areas that contribute to the priority conservation objectives of the national system and that may benefit from additional protection. Identifying conservation gaps is a critical step towards achieving the conservation objectives of the national system. These gaps are areas in the ocean and Great Lakes that meet priority conservation objectives of the national system, but that are not currently or adequately protected to ensure their long-term viability.

The MPA Center will work collaboratively with partners in each region to complete gap analyses for U.S. marine ecosystems. The MPA Center's initial ecological gap analysis will assess the priority conservation objectives for the system's natural heritage and sustainable production goals. The cultural heritage goal priority conservation objectives will be addressed in a separate process.

Ongoing Work

California Marine Protected Area Spatial Resource Assessment: Proof of Concept
The California MPA Spatial Resource Assessment is a first step to create information and tools as part of a broader gap analysis. The goal of the project is to design and implement a proof of concept for spatially assessing marine resources off the California coast to inform marine protected areas planning and the broader coastal and marine spatial planning initiative.

Project Summary
This project is a collaboration between the MPA Center and NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment. The partnership began in 2009 with an initial focus to develop a gap analysis to support the National System of MPAs. Objectives have now been refocused in light of the Administration’s developing coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) initiative. The CMSP initiative has similar information needs for ecological information to the National System of MPAs. To avoid duplicating the work that CMSP will require, the MPA Center is designing a process to accomplish its ecological gap analysis needs within the broader framework of CMSP.

The benefit to this new MPA Spatial Resource Assessment approach is that NOAA can produce a national conservation product in a relatively short period of time. This work can then be presented as a potential natural resource conservation approach to the broader CMSP initiative as the regional planning bodies begin to develop their coastal and marine spatial plans. The goal is to develop integrated products that meet the goals of both the CMSP initiative and continued development of the national system.

Where will the MPA Center’s Spatial Resource Assessment be Conducted?
The MPA Spatial Resource Assessment proof of concept will be conducted for the waters off California. It will focus on gathering existing ecological spatial information, building out the MPA Inventory to include ecological and management information, and building an analytical tool that will bring this information together with the resources in the Inventory.

Products to be developed:

  • GIS-based Analytical Tool
  • Report, maps, and data tables

Case Studies of Other Ecosystem Assessments

Links

Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, July 19, 2010
MPA Executive Order 13158
Framework for the National System of MPAs
Definition of Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas Inventory
Marine Protected Areas Mapping Tool
Fact Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions about MPAs

For More Information, contact
mpainfo@noaa.gov