CCMAR interviewed Bárbara Horta Costa, researcher and PhD in marine protected areas. Bárbara, coordinator of the MARHAB project in Portugal, explains the importance of marine protected areas, how they should be managed and how her work, through this project and CCMAR, aims to reformulate management strategies at European level.  

1. What sparked your interest in marine protected areas, as a scientist? 

My interest arose because marine protected areas are zones where we can let nature "breathe" a little. These areas are a tool, limited in area, where we can test different forms of management, governance and community participation for the benefit of nature and people. 

2. Why are marine protected areas essential for ocean conservation? 

These areas are essential because we have failed to keep our ocean healthy, which is fundamental to society and life on Earth. Marine protected areas can act as small oasis. They won't solve all the problems, but they can reduce some environmental pressures and local threats. But for this to work, they need to be effectively protected. 

3. When managing a marine protected area, what aspects should you pay attention to in order to ensure proper management? 

A key aspect to ensure in the management of a marine protected area is the information and involvement of the users of the area in all stages of its development (users such as the fishing industry, tourism and local authorities). This involvement allows the protected area to be implemented in a fairer and more transparent way, taking into account different interests, possible conflicts and oppositions, so that they can be worked on together. It is always necessary to have resources and funding for monitoring and communication on the ground, but it is still not possible to monitor the whole area 24 hours a day, so public acceptance is essential.

It is also important to understand what is happening in the protected area through regular monitoring. In this way, the marine's protected area management can be kept informed and, if necessary, adjust the measures implemented. 

4. How should fishing be managed in a marine protected area? 

Fishing is one of the main activities to take into account when managing a marine protected area, since it can have an impact on ecosystems and the species it catches, but also because it is one of the sectors that can be most affected by conservation measures. However, there are several studies that show how the existence of no-fishing sites is beneficial, not only for the nature conservation of these areas, but also for fishing in the surrounding areas (since fish can increase in size and number and leave areas where fishing is not allowed).  

In short, it is necessary to guarantee a reduction in fishing efforts in these areas and to ban the most destructive forms of fishing, such as trawling. 

5. If a marine protected area is poorly managed, how can the ecosystem be affected? 

A marine protected area that doesn't fulfil the good practices it has committed to and is poorly managed can be poorly accepted and, in turn, regulations are poorly complied with. This situation is worrying because the expectations associated with these areas are high, the effort to implement them is great and then the result is not what was expected, causing the area to not fulfil its objectives of conserving the ocean's ecosystems. 

6. The marine conservation measures implemented at European level are not being enough to stop the effects of fishing and other human pressures on protected habitats. To what extent can the MARHAB project, and especially Bárbara's work, help to change the situation in Europe? 

Unlike the Mediterranean Sea, the marine protected areas of northern Europe have been little studied. They also appear to be ineffective because they are poorly regulated, allowing many activities within the marine protected area. However, these areas have a significant role to play in meeting European targets, such as ensuring that 10 per cent of marine protected areas are strictly protected. 

In this project, we want to learn more about the characteristics of these areas, their levels of protection and understand their potential to become more effective. By knowing this, we can aim to change the current scenario by creating transferable recommendations for the rest of Europe. 

7. What kind of research and tasks will CCMAR be carrying out to contribute to the MARHAB project? 

Over the next few years, we're going to make a diagnosis of the marine protected areas in Northern Europe and study ways to improve their management and fulfil their objectives - particularly in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, which have more than 2,000 areas! In the end, the aim will be to transfer this regional knowledge to the European level, providing essential recommendations for the implementation and management of marine areas. 

About the projet:

The MARHAB project - Improving marine habitat status by considering ecosystem dynamics began in January 2024 and will run until the end of 2027. It is a project coordinated by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR), and its partners are the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Swedish University of Gothenburg (UGOT), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the Algarve, Portugal (CCMAR), and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). It is also a collaborative European Horizon project, supported by the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment, which is responsible for the European Union's environmental policy.