Choosing boundaries to marine protected areas and zoning the MPAs for restricted use and management

Abstract

The boundaries of 19 Marine Protected Areas were designated by the Government in South Australia. These boundaries were decided on by a lengthy and detailed procedure of scientific and Government discussion and public participation. There were 14 Design Principles used to make decisions on these boundaries. The Delphic approach was the main method used but the computer modelling program Marxan added some insights to MPA boundaries. Now that the boundaries have been set, the zoning of the MPAs is intended to offer protection to all examples of marine habitats and retain coastal biodiversity. The Design Principles were again used for zoning purposes but modifications to them and others were needed. Some problems, including protests from user interest groups and a lack of scientific information on biodiversity and marine habitats, have been resolved, the latter by invoking the Precautionary Principle. The application of these methodological approaches and the lessons learned are extremely applicable to the East Asian Seas.