Marine Protected Area - Terminology

Terminology

"MPA" is an umbrella definition for protected areas that include some area of marine landscape and/or biodiversity, but each specific area still falls under the methods of categorisation applied to protected areas which is a way of allotting the management tasks for regions which require will conservation of different scope and detail.
The IUCN defines a marine protected area as;

"Any area of the intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment."