MPA Programs

beach grass — Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve hosts students from a local science class. Credit: Jim Couch, Georgia Department of Natural Resources

A variety of government programs, agencies, and legislation manage, monitor or establish marine protected areas in U.S. waters.

Federal MPA Programs

State & Territorial MPA Programs

Tribal Programs

International MPA Initiatives

Resources

Webinar Series with Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Introduction to US Marine Protected Areas (Dec 2017)
Marine Protected Areas Programs in NOAA (Jan 2017)
Marine Protected Area Programs in the Department of the Interior (Feb 2017)

Congressional Research Service's Marine Protected Areas: An Overview