The below map shows information on all offshore Marine Protected
Areas in the UK (beyond 12 nautical miles from baseline). These include
Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), Scottish national MPAs, Special Areas
of Conservation (SACs) with marine components and Special Protection
Areas (SPAs) with marine components. This also includes sites that
cross the inshore/offshore waters (territorial seas) boundary.
MPAs are areas of the ocean established to protect habitats, species
and processes essential for healthy, functioning marine ecosystems. The
purpose of an MPA is to protect and recover rare, threatened and
important habitats and species from damage caused by human activities.
In England, MPAs are designated to protect specific habitats or species
(also known as ‘features’) and have conservation objectives which state
what conservation outcomes the MPA is designed to achieve. There are 178
MPAs in English waters, covering 51% of inshore and 37% of offshore
waters.
Southwest
Environmental Limited