{"id":2375,"date":"2020-06-21T21:33:22","date_gmt":"2020-06-21T21:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/?page_id=2375"},"modified":"2025-11-25T16:26:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T00:26:52","slug":"standard","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blueparks\/standard\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blue Park Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MCI_Blue_Park_Standard_2025_251125_sm.pdf\" title=\"The Blue Park Standard\"  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\tThe Blue Park Standard\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h1>\n\t<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/people\/#science\">Science Council<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\tThe Standard is used to evaluate Blue Park Award nominees and to guide MPA efforts, including our <a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blue-sparks\/\">Blue Spark<\/a> collaborations.\nBlue Parks produce conservation benefits because they are:\n<ul>\n<li>\nDesigned for biodiversity conservation\n<\/li>\n<li>\nGoverned equitably &amp; durably\n<\/li>\n<li>\nFully or highly protected from harmful activities\n<\/li>\n<li>\nManaged adaptively\n<\/li>\n<li>\nEffective at eliciting high compliance\n<\/li>\n<li>\nResourced to effectively implement strategies\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blue_Park_Standard_2025_251007.pdf\"  target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4_Blue-Park-Standard-graphic-1024x563.png\" alt=\"The Blue Park Standard themes\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"563\" width=\"1024\" title=\"Blue Park Standard graphic\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h1  id=\"award-process\">\n\t\t\tAward Process\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\"  id=\"fl-accordion--label-0\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"fl-accordion--panel-0\">1. Nomination<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"fl-accordion--icon-0\"  tabindex=\"0\"><i title=\"Expand\">Expand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Marine protected areas are nominated by their managers, governments, partners, and supporters. To nominate, follow the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/nominate\/\">nomination instructions<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\"  id=\"fl-accordion--label-1\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"fl-accordion--panel-1\">2. Evaluation<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"fl-accordion--icon-1\"  tabindex=\"0\"><i title=\"Expand\">Expand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Blue Parks team prepares an Evaluation Report, in consultation with nominee managers and partners.<\/p>\n<p>Experts are invited to comment on the evaluation report during a 4-week public comment period.<\/p>\n<p>The Blue Park Evaluation Report and all submitted comments are forwarded to the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/people\/#science\">Science Council<\/a><\/strong> for review.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\"  id=\"fl-accordion--label-2\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"fl-accordion--panel-2\">3. Decision<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"fl-accordion--icon-2\"  tabindex=\"0\"><i title=\"Expand\">Expand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tThe <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/people\/#science\">Science Council<\/a><\/strong> &#8212; an group of marine conservation science experts from around the world &#8212; decides the award status of nominees.<br \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\"  id=\"fl-accordion--label-3\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"fl-accordion--panel-3\">4. Award<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"fl-accordion--icon-3\"  tabindex=\"0\"><i title=\"Expand\">Expand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tNominees earning a Blue Park Award are recognized at high profile international meetings and celebrated by Blue Parks partners.<br \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\"  id=\"fl-accordion--label-4\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"fl-accordion--panel-4\">5. Review<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"fl-accordion--icon-4\"  tabindex=\"0\"><i title=\"Expand\">Expand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Regular review for awarded Blue Parks occur every 5 years and may be triggered by new information or changes.<\/p>\n<h1>\n\t\t\tDownload the Blue Park Standard\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MCI_Blue_Park_Standard_2025_251125_sm.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blueparks\/\"  target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb-plugin\/cache\/CGM_SILVERBANK_20200216_0051-Edit-Edit-scaled-e1594240857505-1024x463-panorama-355f6a6703c15f9b4792e1d39a68e860-.jpg\" alt=\"A young male humback whale belts out a love song in the Silver Bank, Domonican Republic\nBlue Parks Cover Photo\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"463\" width=\"1024\" title=\"Photo: Cristina Mittermeier\/SeaLegacy\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blueparks\/\" target=\"_self\">Blue Parks<\/a><\/h3><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blueparks\/\"  target=\"_self\">Learn More<\/a>\t\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blue-sparks\/\"  target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb-plugin\/cache\/Argentina-Blue-Sparks-1024x536-panorama-0c96b7f721b2b745a8bb89f986df3a37-.png\" alt=\"Blue Parks - Blue Sparks - Argentina Namancur\u00e1-Burdwood Bank II and Yaganes\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"536\" width=\"1024\" title=\"Photo: Sin Azul No Hay Verde\/Rewilding Argentina\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blue-sparks\/\" target=\"_self\">Blue Sparks<\/a><\/h3><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blue-sparks\/\"  target=\"_self\">Learn More<\/a>\t\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/nominate\/\"  target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb-plugin\/cache\/CoralReefImageBank_Sharks_Rick-Miskiv_01-e1594246075286-1024x463-panorama-56a41d7b35386a5632dfe6587708852f-.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Park Nominate Banner\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"463\" width=\"1024\" title=\"Photo: Rick Miskiv\/Coral Reef Image Bank\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/nominate\/\" target=\"_self\">Nominate a Blue Park<\/a><\/h3><a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/nominate\/\"  target=\"_self\">Learn More<\/a>\t\n\t<h1>Join us in creating a network of Blue Parks around the world to safeguard life in the sea.<\/h1>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/give\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSupport Us\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Blue Park Standard 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&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":657,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2375","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Blue Park Standard &#187; Marine Conservation Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marine-conservation.org\/blueparks\/standard\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Blue Park Standard &#187; Marine Conservation Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Blue Park Standard The Blue Park Standard relies on up-to-date science regarding the attributes of effective marine protected areas (MPAs). 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