About the
MPA Community Network
Connecting people, projects and solutions for more effective Marine Protected Areas
The MPA Community Network is a shared space for projects, people and organisations working for marine conservation, protection, and restoration. We bring together knowledge, tools, resources and communities to turn ambition into action.
Connecting people, projects and solutions for more effective Marine Protected Areas
The MPA Community Network is a shared space for projects, people and organisations working for marine conservation, protection, and restoration. We bring together knowledge, tools, resources and communities to turn ambition into action.
01.
Why the Network is needed
Marine Protected Areas are essential for restoring ocean health, protecting biodiversity, and strengthening the resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems. Europe has committed to legally protecting at least 30% of EU seas by 2030, as part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. At the same time, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation sets a broader ambition to implement restoration measures across at least 20% of EU land and sea areas by 2030, and ultimately across all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.
Yet, the challenge remains urgent. Marine ecosystems continue to face pressures from biodiversity loss, climate change, habitat degradation, pollution, overexploitation, and competing uses of marine space. While Marine Protected Area coverage in the EU has grown over the last decade, reaching 13.7% of EU marine waters in 2023, significant efforts are still needed to reach the 30% target and to ensure that protected areas are effectively managed, ecologically connected, and capable of delivering real conservation outcomes.
02.
The challenge —
Many solutions exist, but they are scattered.
Many projects and organisations are already creating valuable resources for Marine Protected Areas — from tools, guidelines and case studies to publications, educational materials, stakeholder engagement methods, monitoring approaches and communication activities.
Yet these outputs are often dispersed across separate websites, reports, platforms, and project communities. Projects working on similar challenges may not always be connected, while MPA managers and practitioners can struggle to find, compare, reuse or adapt the resources they need.
This fragmentation limits visibility, collaboration and long-term uptake. Valuable knowledge risks remaining isolated within individual projects instead of becoming part of a shared community of practice.
The MPA Community Network responds to this challenge by bringing together projects, people, tools, publications, educational resources, communication channels and opportunities for exchange in one connected ecosystem.
02.
The challenge —
Many solutions exist, but they are scattered.
Many projects and organisations are already creating valuable resources for Marine Protected Areas — from tools, guidelines and case studies to publications, educational materials, stakeholder engagement methods, monitoring approaches and communication activities.
Yet these outputs are often dispersed across separate websites, reports, platforms, and project communities. Projects working on similar challenges may not always be connected, while MPA managers and practitioners can struggle to find, compare, reuse or adapt the resources they need.
This fragmentation limits visibility, collaboration and long-term uptake. Valuable knowledge risks remaining isolated within individual projects instead of becoming part of a shared community of practice.
The MPA Community Network responds to this challenge by bringing together projects, people, tools, publications, educational resources, communication channels and opportunities for exchange in one connected ecosystem.
03.
Our response
Effective MPAs require more than legal protection on paper. Management plans, clear conservation measures, monitoring frameworks, enforcement tools and stakeholder engagement approaches are all essential — yet many MPA managers lack access to tested, practical guidance.
03.
Our response
Effective MPAs require more than legal protection on paper. Management plans, clear conservation measures, monitoring frameworks, enforcement tools and stakeholder engagement approaches are all essential — yet many MPA managers lack access to tested, practical guidance.
The MPA Community Network and the MPA Solutions Hub directly address this. Through a curated library of management plan templates, zoning approaches, adaptive management tools and case studies from across Europe and beyond, the Network gives practitioners the resources to move from designation to active, evidence-based management. Whether you are developing a management plan for the first time or updating existing measures, the Solutions Hub connects you to what works.
04.
Who is it for?
The Network is open to anyone working to make Marine Protected Areas more effective, inclusive and connected, and to restore the health of our Ocean.
04.
Who is it for?
The Network is open to anyone working to make Marine Protected Areas more effective, inclusive and connected, and to restore the health of our Ocean.
05.
Join the MPA
Community Network
Whether you are managing an MPA, developing a tool, coordinating a project, organising stakeholder engagement or looking for practical resources, the MPA Community Network offers a shared space to connect, learn, and collaborate.
05.
Join
the
MPA
Community Network
Whether you are managing an MPA, developing a tool, coordinating a project, organising stakeholder engagement or looking for practical resources, the MPA Community Network offers a shared space to connect, learn, and collaborate.
05.
Join the MPA
Community Network
Whether you are managing an MPA, developing a tool, coordinating a project, organising stakeholder engagement or looking for practical resources, the MPA Community Network offers a shared space to connect, learn, and collaborate.