Distribution of three categories of protected or significant areas on the North Atlantic (18°N to 76°N and 36°E to 98°W). Categories were delineated according to relative levels of protection, from the highest to the lowest: fishing closures implemented by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and marine reserves; other MPAs likely to benefit from a lower protection; and Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs). Source vector data originated from the RFMOs (NAFO, NEAFC and GFCM), the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), national MPAs databases (US: NOAA and SAFMC; Canada: Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Norway: Institute of Marine Research) and the CBD website. The relative cover or each protection category on 25km *25km gridsquares was computed. This dataset was built to feed a basin-wide spatial conservation planning exercise, targeting the deep sea of the North Atlantic. The goal of this approach was to identify conservation priority areas for Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and deep fish species, based on the distribution of species and habitats, human activities and current spatial management.

Med protection initiatives (management and conservation areas)

Shape file with the layers containing the information as in Product CH2-1 and depth/biological zones. Fisheries Restricted Areas with specifics on the prohibitions and the type of closure.

Shape file with the layers containing the information as in Product CH2-1 and depth/biological zones. Fisheries Restricted Areas with specifics on the prohibitions and the type of closure.

Med protection initiatives (management and conservation areas)

The dataset on Natura 2000 sites was created in 2014 by Cogea for the European Marine Observation and Data Network. It is entirely based on spatial data from the European Environmental Agency (EEA), plus additional info, links and selected EEA data joined to the feature attributes, as well as a calculation by Cogea of marine and coastal location of features. It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet - Human Activities web portal (www.emodnet-humanactivities.eu). Natura 2000 is an ecological network composed of sites designated under the Birds Directive (Special Protection Areas, SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (Sites of Community Importance, SCIs, and Special Areas of Conservation, SACs). The dataset covers the whole EU. Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020, it ceased to be part of the EEA’s institutional networks and governance. In the webmap the EEA dataset has been filtered by Cogea to show only (i) marine sites, i.e. sites with a marine area percentage higher than 0 (as calculated by the EEA) and (ii) sites that, even if not identified as marine by the EEA, intersect the EEA coastline or that are within a distance of 1 km from the coastline (using a 1 km inner buffer from the EEA coastline). In both cases the COAST_MAR field value=1. The EEA coastline dataset is available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/eea-coastline-for-analysis-2. Compared with the previous version, this one includes the updated dataset 'Natura 2000 End 2020', published by the EEA in July 2021. For further information (e.g. biogeographic region, directive, habitats, sites, impact, management, species and metadata) please visit the EEA's website hosting the Natura 2000 tabular data.