Why do we need marine protected areas?
Historically many places in the sea were too difficult for people to get to - they were too remote or too deep. These areas balanced the negative impacts of human activities happening elsewhere in the sea, like fishing, mining and pollution. Modern technologies mean few, if any, areas remain unaffected. As our population grows, our dependence on the oceans for clean air, clean water, food, recreation, and other vital functions becomes more critical. Marine protected areas are one way to recreate these natural buffer areas in all kinds of ocean habitats.
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