marine protected area

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a geographically defined area of ocean, coast, or estuary designated by governmental authority to provide long-term conservation of nature, cultural heritage, or associated ecosystem services; MPAs vary widely in their level of protection from lightly regulated multiple-use zones to fully no-take reserves; they are a primary tool of marine conservation policy under international frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and are central to the global target of protecting thirty percent of the ocean by 2030