Marine Managed Areas Inventory Atlas

Executive Order 13158 mandates that the U.S. Departments of Commerce and the Interior "publish and maintain a list of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that meet the definition of MPA for the purposes of this order." To provide this information, an inventory of existing U.S. Marine Managed Areas (MMAs) is being developed. The inventory will support the development of the "list of MPA's" called for in the Executive Order 13158. Digital boundary files for the MMAs have been compiled from various agencies and formatted for use in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to produce a thematic series of maps for the Marine Managed Areas Inventory Atlas. This atlas is designed to enhance the understanding of the spatial relationships among the sites in the MMA Inventory. The Inventory will be used to inform federal agencies and all interested parties of the location of sites. It will help scientists and managers examine the design effectiveness of the current system of managed areas and determine which habitats are in need of improved or additional protection measures.