marine protected areas (MPA)

Newly developed 3D imaging technology has allowed scientists to map an area of cold-water coral reefs off the coast of Scotland to see whether it has recovered since being declared a Marine Protected Area 16 years ago.

A study led by National Oceanography Centre (NOC) scientists, recently published in Frontiers in Marine Science, presents the first ever images of animals living below 4000 metres within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Kiribati, a remote island group in the Pacific.

On Friday 6 September a team of scientists and engineers, led by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and University of Southampton, will set sail to revisit a deep, cold-water coral reef area 16 years after it was named a Marine Protected Area, to look for evidence the coral is regenerating.

Researchers at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) studying the UK’s four largest Marine Protected Areas have found that, because of the ocean’s vigorous circulation, even remote, seemingly pristine habitats, are not isolated from human activities, and may be vulnerable to pollution and overfishing impacts.