The Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago, has approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Spread across 287,000 square kilometers (about 110,800 square miles), the new marine protected area network covers 30% of the ocean surrounding the archipelago. Half of the MPA network is “fully protected,” while the other half is “highly protected.”
In the “fully protected” parts of the network, extractive or destructive activities like fishing are not allowed, while activities such as diving, swimming and marine tourism are regulated, said Luis Bernardo Brito e Abreu, adviser to the president of the Azores government.
In the “highly protected” half, “only activities with low total impact,” such as pole and line fishing, are allowed, Brito e Abreu told Mongabay via email. “The goal was to maximize conservation efforts, minimize the impact on fishing, and create opportunities for economic growth through tourism and other blue economy sectors.”

To create the MPA network, researchers from various local and international organizations conducted scientific expeditions in 2016 and 2018. They mapped 21,469 km² (8,289 mi²) of the seafloor surrounding the Azores, Alan Friedlander, senior marine scientist at National Geographic’s Pristine Seas initiative, which participated in the expeditions, told Mongabay.
The mapping revealed unique geological features, including more than 300 seamounts that support cold-water corals and sponges, that are vulnerable to fishing impacts. “Most of these seamounts are still unexplored scientifically, but some have been exploited by bottom trawls in the past and are impacted by other benthic [seafloor] fishing gear as well,” Friedlander said.
The expeditions also found that the Azores is a global hotspot and a vital stopover site for various migratory marine species, including whales, dolphins and seabirds. “The region acts as a biodiversity corridor, linking marine species between the Americas, Europe and Africa,” Friedlander said.
Networks of MPAs, such as the one created in the Azores, help connect various habitats and ecosystems, “creating a safety net against localized threats such as pollution, overfishing, or habitat destruction,” Friedlander said. “This ensures that if one area is compromised, others can help maintain ecological balance.”
The process of demarcating the MPA network also involved more than 40 meetings between the government and several Azorean communities, including those from the fishing sector, maritime transport, maritime tourism operators, and environmental NGOs, Brito e Abreu said.
The new MPA network, the largest in Europe, is a step toward meeting the global goal of protecting 30% of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030, he added.
“Because island regions are on the forefront of the impacts from climate change, we believe they should be the ones who lead the way for the rest of the world,” Brito e Abreu said. “We hope the example of the Azores shows that regions can protect their ocean while building thriving, sustainable economies.”
Banner image of whales courtesy of Andy Mann.