Marine Protected Areas, design and management

Course contents

This course deals with the description of marine protected areas, considering MPAs life cycle (preliminary phase, pioneer phase, practical phase); the MPA planning; MPAs research and monitoring; national, regional and international policy on MPAs; MPAs, reserve effect; Artisanal and recreational fishing activities in MPAS; ecotourism activities associated to the MPAs to promote sustainable livelihoods; MPA revenue, raising awareness and building compliance; Stakeholders engagement; the opportunity of citizen science to support shared management plans; Protected habitat and marine species in MPAs; large MPAs and the challenge of the open sea (Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction); MPAs management.

Final competences

1. The course will provide the students with the necessary information to work in environmental management and in biodiversity conservation in the frame of MPAs.
2. At the end of the course the students know:
   • The main legal strategies to protect defined areas
   • The general pathways to follow for the development of a MPA 
   • The main stakeholder categories and the strategies for their engagement  
   • The main activities required for MPA management 
   • The main activities required for MPA monitoring
   • The opportunities offered by citizen science projects to MPA management and monitoring

Further course information can be found here: https://studiekiezer.ugent.be/2026/studiefiche/en/C004301