Urban typology of marine protected areas (MPAs): An exploratory methodological framework applied to the Western Mediterranean Sea
Résumé
The coastlines of Mediterranean countries are heavily developed and impacted by human activities. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play an essential part in protecting these urban regions and preserving their marine biodiversity. However, the implementation of effective MPAs in populated zones poses challenges and requires the creation of suitable management strategies. The first step is to define what 'urban' means within the context of the marine protection framework. This work examines 20 MPAs in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The aim of our study is twofold. Firstly, to identify urban variables that enable MPAs to be classified based on their level of urbanisation. Secondly, to establish thresholds of these variables that define the characteristics of an urban MPA. We identify nine variables derived from population metrics and satellite images and use these to create an urban indicator. We calculated the urban indicator for each MPAs and found that (1) this new urban indicator effectively clusters MPAs, (2) only 6 out of the 20 MPAs in our study can be classified as urban, (3) urban MPAs tend to be easily accessible and located near densely populated areas, while (4) non-urban MPAs may also be found in highly touristic areas. The study thus provides initial insights into the profiles of MPAs located in urban contexts. To deepen our understanding, it will be essential to analyse and compare the management and governance of urban and non-urban MPAs. This could highlight valuable management tools to enhance ecological effectiveness, tailored to the urbanisation level of each MPA.
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