The Scottish MPA Project

The Scottish MPA Project is a joint initiative between Marine Scotland  , the Joint Nature Conservation Committee    (JNCC), Historic Scotland    and SNH. A wide range of work is being carried out under the project which will enable us to provide the best possible advice to Scottish Ministers on the selection of MPAs in the seas around Scotland.

A list of the most frequently asked questions (FAQS) relating to marine protected areas and the Scottish MPA Project is available here  .

The following documents summarise progress on a number of key areas of research.

• Descriptions of Scotland's Priority Marine Features and MPA search features 
• Characterising Scotland's marine environment to define search locations for new MPAs 
• Detailed ecological guidance to support the application of the Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines 
• A preliminary assessment of the possible composition of an ecologically coherent network of MPAs 
• Assessing the contribution of existing protected areas to the MPA network 
• MPA-related survey work 

We will include links to the reports for these and other MPA-related research projects on the right hand side of this page as they are published.

Stakeholder involvement

The Scottish MPA network will be developed in collaboration with marine stakeholders.  As well as marine interests and organisations, stakeholders will include local authorities, communities near proposed sites and users from a wider geographic area, such as those with recreational interests.

Three national MPA stakeholder workshops took place in 2011.  The first looked at the data being used to inform the MPA selection process and highlighted known gaps in the data available.  Stakeholders helped us to identify additional data which could be useful to the selection process.

A second workshop focussed on data being used to determine marine areas where there is the least human activity and which may therefore be in a relatively natural state.  On the assumption that least damaged/more natural areas occur where there is least human activity, we will apply the Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines  for Nature Conservation MPAs to these areas first, before applying them more widely.

At the third workshop results of the first national application of the selection guidelines were presented for discussion.  Two further national workshops are planned for 2012 and from spring onwards discussion will be opened out to bring in more local interest groups and communities. Further information on the opportunities for stakeholder engagement in the project, including information about third-party proposals for MPAs, is set out in the Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines  .

To comment on the Scottish MPA Project, or if you have a question not covered in the FAQs on this page, please send us an email.

Piloting the use of motion graphics

SNH wants to help people understand why we consider potential areas for MPAs to be special.  In 2010 we commissioned a new way of using marine survey data to help people visualise the special qualities of habitats and species within proposed MPAs.  The pilot interactive motion graphics resource uses data from the Loch Sunart Special Area of Conservation. The project report outlines the process taken and features the views of those who tested the resource.

We would like to hear your views on the effectiveness of motion graphics as a way of encouraging interest in MPAs.  Some internet services may be insufficient to access this resource. If you would like us to send you a DVD version or to leave feedback, please use the link at the bottom of this page.