Report on the status of marine protected areas in Coral reef ecosystems of the United States Volume 1: Marine Protected Areas Managed by U.S. States, Territories and Commonwealths

Abstract

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program developed this report of MPAs managed by state and territory governments in conjunction with federal, state, territory, and commonwealth partners. The information included in the report was collected in partnership with the National Marine Managed Area (MMA) Inventory that was conducted by the National Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center from 2001-2006. Inventory data was obtained through direct surveys with managers of coral reef MPAs and review of legal documents and management plans. This data is available in the Inventory of MMAs on the National MPA Center’s website at www.mpa.gov (National MPA Center 2006c). This report is based on data extracted from the inventory in July 2005. In the process of writing and reviewing this document, several of the jurisdictions revised and edited their MMA Inventory data.