Marine Protected Areas

The Oceans account for 70% of the world's land and are responsible for 80% of planet's biodiversity. Due to our continuous inhumane actions , now there is a need to protect our oceans from .

Marine Protected Areas, also called the MPA's are protected areas of oceans, seas, estuaries and even the the Great lakes. These are dedicated to the conservation of habitat, species as well as the resources. These are managed by some legal or other effective means.

Marae Moana also known as Cook Island's Matine Park, is a multiple use marine protected area. It covers 1.9 million square kilometers. It was inaugurated on 13 July 2017.

Kevin Iro, who is an environmentalist, first proposed the idea. It was made when the parliament of the Cook Islands, passed a bill for creating the largest marine multi -purpose marine protected area of its time.

Some Notable Marine Protected Areas are:

▪︎The Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary in the north-western Mediterranean Sea between Italy and France

▪︎The Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys, USA

▪︎The Papahānaumokuakea Marine National Monument,Hawaii

▪︎The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, Kiribati

▪︎The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in California, USA

It is the need of the hour for us to "THINK BLUE AND GO GREEN".

-By Janhwee Thapliyal(SMSMB)