no-take zone 1 of 5 Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, California

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1 This website would like to remind you: Your browser (Apple Safari 4) is out of date. Update your browser for more security, comfort and the best experience on this site. Encyclopedic Entry no-take zone For the complete encyclopedic entry with media resources, visit: A no-take zone is an area set aside by the government where no extractive activity is allowed. Extractive activity is any action that removes, or extracts, any resource. Extractive activities include fishing, hunting, logging, mining, and drilling. Shell collecting and archaeological digging are also extractive. No-take zones usually make up part of larger protected areas. These protected areas, sometimes part of national or state parks, are located on both land and open water, such as lakes and oceans. No-take zones offer a greater amount of protection to the ecosystems, habitats, and species within the boundaries of those larger, and less restrictive, protected areas. No-take zones are a specific type of marine protected area (MPA). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), no-take MPAs totally prohibit the extraction or significant destruction of natural or cultural resources. No-take MPAs are rare. Most countries and states have fisheries that depend on the extraction of marine life. Sport fishing and commercial fishing are often important industries in coastal areas. Throughout the world, the fishing industry is the most powerful opponent of no-take zones. However, archaeologists, treasure hunters, and the oil and mining industries are also often critical of no-take MPAs. Most no-take zones are often part of multiple-use MPAs, where different levels of activity are allowed in different zones. Multiple-use MPAs regulate the amount of extractive activity, as well as recreation and scientific research, that can take place in a protected area. No-take zones within multiple-use MPAs usually protect the spawning grounds of many aquatic species. They may also serve as outdoor laboratories that allow scientists to compare the undisturbed areas of a no-take area to those impacted by human activities. Through these experiments, scientists are better able to understand how human activities affect the marine environment. Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, California The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is a multiple-use MPA located in the Santa Barbara Channel, off the southern coast of the U.S. state of California. The sanctuary encompasses about 3,807 square kilometers (1,470 square miles) of water surrounding Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara Islands. The islands surrounded by the no-take MPAs are not inhabited by people, and only limited scientific research is allowed on them. In 2007, NOAA added nine new marine zones to the sanctuary, eight of which are no-take marine reserves. These new no-take areas prohibit all extractive activities and injury to sanctuary resources. 1 of 5

2 The Channel Islands no-take zones protect a great variety of organisms, including large forests of giant kelp, fish, invertebrate populations such as shrimp and clams, and diverse species of marine birds. Marine mammals, such as whales and sea lions, also inhabit the sanctuary. The no-take zones provide full or part-time habitats for endangered species, including blue, humpback, and sei whales, southern sea otters, California brown pelicans, and the California least terns. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia Located off the northeast coast of Australia, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park begins at the tip of Cape York in the territory of Queensland and extends south almost to the city of Bundaberg. The park is only slightly smaller than the nation of Japan, and stretches approximately parallel to the Queensland coast for more than 2,240 kilometers (1,400 miles). In the Great Barrier Reef, no-takes areas are also known as Green Zones. Within Green Zones, recreational activities such as boating, snorkeling, and diving are allowed. However, fishing and coral collecting are entirely prohibited. Until recently, no-take zones made up less than five percent of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Within the last ten years, the network of no-take areas now covers more than 33 percent of the MPA. Green Zones improve the protection of the regions biodiversity through a series of strict guidelines. All Green Zones in the MPA are at least 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide. The Green Zone network offers at least 20 percent protection per bioregion. A bioregion is a geographic region that is larger than a single ecosystem. Some of the bioregions protected by no-take zones in the Great Barrier Reef include coastal beaches, lagoons, and more than 30 types of coral reefs. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park supports a phenomenal variety of organisms, including many vulnerable or endangered species. Four hundred coral species make up the majority of the reef. Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed, while 215 species of birds regularly visit the reef, with some nesting on nearby islands. The islands also support 2,195 known plant species. More than 1,500 species of fish live on the reef, and thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been recorded within the MPA. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest, most complex, and most diverse ecosystems in the world. It is also one of Australias most profitable tourist centers. Tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef to enjoy the largest coral reef in the world, its colorful and unique habitats, and the array of recreational activities in the area. They also come to participate in sport fishing and other extractive activities. Australia has large fisheries near the Great Barrier Reef. Marlin, coral trout, bass, snapper, and a wide variety of sharks are harvested near the park. Some of these fish are also harvested in the park itself, in zones that allow for commercial or sport fishing. The network of no-take zones allows leaders to manage the park to support both the environment and economy of the area. VOCABULARY Term Part of Speech Definition 2 of 5

3 aquatic adjective having to do with water. archaeological site place where evidence of the past is being studied by scientists. biodiversity all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area. bioregion area with specific ecological characteristics, including living and nonliving things. A bioregion is larger than an ecosystem. breed verb to produce offspring. coast edge of land along the sea or other large body of water. commercial fishing industry responsible for catching and selling fish. coral reef rocky ocean features made up of millions of coral skeletons. critical adjective very important. drill verb to make a hole using a rotating digging tool. economy system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. ecosystem community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area. endangered species organism threatened with extinction. extractive activity process that removes, or extracts, any natural or cultural resource from an area. fine verb to punish, usually by charging an economic penalty or fee. Or, the penalty or fee itself. fishery industry or occupation of harvesting fish, either in the wild or through aquaculture. government system or order of a nation, state, or other political unit. Great Barrier Reef large coral reef off the northeast coast of Australia. Green Zone area of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park where no extractive activities, such as fishing, are allowed. habitat environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of time. hunt verb to pursue and kill an animal, usually for food. inhabit verb to live in a specific place. invertebrate animal without a spine. kelp type of seaweed. lagoon shallow body of water that may have an opening to a larger body of water, but is also protected from it by a sandbar or coral reef. logging industry engaged in cutting down trees and moving the wood to sawmills. marine protected area (MPA) area of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity. 3 of 5

4 marlin large marine fish with a long, spear-like snout, or bill. mining process of extracting ore from the Earth. multiple-use MPA marine protected area that allows different levels of human activity, usually by zones. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) U.S. Department of Commerce agency whose mission is to "understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts; to share that knowledge and information with others, and; to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources." no-take zone area set aside by the government where all extractive activity, including fishing, mining, and drilling, is not allowed. opponent rival, or an individual or group who takes the opposite side in a confrontation. phenomenal adjective very impressive. poacher person who hunts or fishes illegally. porpoise marine mammal related to dolphins. profitable adjective able to make money. prohibit verb to disallow or prevent. rare adjective unusual or uncommon. recreation area specific area that allows camping, boating, fishing, diving, kayaking, picnicking, and other activities. resource available supply of materials, goods, or services. Resources can be natural or human. restrict verb to limit. sanctuary protected area where wildlife can live and breed without threat from hunting. spawning grounds area where fish come each year to reproduce. species group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other. sport fishing catching fish for competition or recreation. tern aquatic bird related to gulls. territory land an animal, human, or government protects from intruders. treasure-hunting process and hobby of searching and digging for valuable items in historical places such as shipwrecks. unique adjective one of a kind. vulnerable adjective capable of being hurt. For Further Exploration Articles & Profiles National Geogrpahic News: Largest No-Fishing Zone Declared in Great Barrier Reef National Geographic News: Biggest-Ever Fish Study Aids Florida Conservation Audio & Video National Geographic Video: Four Men, 500 Hooks 4 of 5

marine sanctuary 1 of 5

marine sanctuary 1 of 5 This website would like to remind you: Your browser (Apple Safari 4) is out of date. Update your browser for more security, comfort and the best experience on this site. Encyclopedic Entry marine sanctuary