How well do you know the ocean?
This regular feature will help acquaint you with our blue planet.
Topic: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
- The Great Lakes are considered an MPA!
MPAs have a variety of designations. Some are considered “multiple use” and can be used for recreational activities such as diving and fishing, while others are “no take” and not even a shell can be removed from the site. - The wreckage of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship, is considered a historical site, and is a protected MPA.
- 1.57million km2 of the Ross Sea is currently the largest MPA and is closed to fishing for the next 35 years.
- The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is the largest MPA in the United States, encompassing 1.51million km2 of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
