The Blue Park Award criteria provide blueprints for effective marine conservation.
Award Criteria
Blue Park standards rely 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. Through workshops, meetings and conferences, marine conservation scientists from around the world worked with us to design the Blue Park Award criteria. Many of those scientists serve on the Blue Park decision-making Science Council.
A Blue Park evaluation consists of three parts. Nominees must meet the criteria in Part 1 to qualify for inclusion in the Blue Park network. The criteria in Part 2 determine the level of Blue Park award that the nominee earns. Part 3 is an assessment of the conservation value the MPA adds to the existing Blue Park network via ecosystem representation and ecological spatial connectivity -- this will allow us to prioritize nominees and set conservation targets for safeguarding marine biodiversity.
