Blue Park Award Criteria
The Blue Park Standard
Photo: Jordan Robins/Coral Reef Image Bank
The Blue Park Standard provides a blueprint for effective marine conservation.
The Blue Park Standard relies on up-to-date science regarding the attributes of effective marine protected areas (MPAs). A considerable body of scientific literature has focused on the MPA attributes that result in biodiversity conservation; the Blue Park Standard represents a synthesis of this MPA science. Through workshops, meetings and review, marine conservation scientists from around the world collaborated with us to design the Blue Park Standard. Many of those scientists also serve on the Blue Park decision-making Science Council.
The Standard is used to evaluate Blue Park Award nominees and to guide MPA efforts, including our Blue Spark collaborations.
Blue Parks produce conservation benefits because they are:
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Designed for biodiversity conservation
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Governed equitably & durably
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Fully or highly protected from harmful activities
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Managed adaptively
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Effective at eliciting high compliance
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Resourced to effectively implement strategies
