Classifying Australia’s great barrier reef marine park by applying and comparing the IUCN management categories, the regulation based classification system, the MPA guide and the official great barrier geef marne park authority zoning classificatioRn

Thesis presented at Ispa – Instituto Universitário for the attainment of the degree of master’s in Marine Biology and Conservation ABSTRACT: In light of the intensifying threats to the marine environment, one of the most globally used tools is Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). There is a range of different types of MPAs, with different characteristics and levels of protection. To standardize MPA categories globally, the IUCN has created the IUCN Management Categories. However, its application in classifying MPAs is questionable since it works based on projected objectives, and these are not always reflected in the regulations applied. Incorrect classification of MPAs can lead to a false sense of protection and ultimately to failure in protecting the marine environment. In order to address these issues, two different classification systems have recently been developed, based on the regulations of uses within each zone/AMP. These are the Regulation Based Classification System (RBCS) and the MPA Guide. In this study, the three systems mentioned, IUCN, RBCS and MPA Guide, were used to classify and categorize the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) in Australia. The results show that both the RBCS and the MPA Guide assign similar classifications, with 64% of the GBRMP areas being poorly protected, 36% moderately protected, and