The Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago, has approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic Ocean. Spread across 287,000 square kilometers (about 110,800 square miles), the new marine protected area network covers 30% of the ocean surrounding the archipelago. Half of the MPA network is “fully protected,” while the other half is “highly protected.” In the “fully protected” parts of the network, extractive or destructive activities like fishing are not allowed, while activities such as diving, swimming and marine tourism are regulated, said Luis Bernardo Brito e Abreu, adviser to the president of the Azores government. In the “highly protected” half, “only activities with low total impact,” such as pole and line fishing, are allowed, Brito e Abreu told Mongabay via email. “The goal was to maximize conservation efforts, minimize the impact on fishing, and create opportunities for economic growth through tourism and other blue economy sectors.” Map showing the newly established MPA network in the Azores. To create the MPA network, researchers from various local and international organizations conducted scientific expeditions in 2016 and 2018. They mapped 21,469 km² (8,289 mi²) of the seafloor surrounding the Azores, Alan Friedlander, senior marine scientist at National Geographic’s Pristine Seas initiative, which participated in the expeditions, told Mongabay. The mapping revealed unique geological features, including more than 300 seamounts that support cold-water corals and sponges, that are vulnerable to fishing impacts. “Most of these seamounts are still unexplored scientifically, but some have been exploited by bottom…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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