The challenge of assessing whether the OSPAR network of marine protected areas is ecologically coherent

As MPA networks continue to grow worldwide, decision makers and the public will need to be kept informed regarding progress made in meeting the underlying ecological goals of the networks. The twelve coastal European nations of the OSPAR Commission have agreed to establish within the waters of the Northeast Atlantic an "ecologically coherent" network of marine protected areas by 2010. An initial set of 81 MPAs in the Northeast Atlantic was accepted by the OSPAR Commission in June 2006, and as of 31 December 2006 six additional sites have been put forward. They amount to approximately 26,500 km(2), submitted by six of the twelve coastal nations. The job of assessing their ecological coherence has proven to be a difficult issue, and one that has not been attempted before. Assessment techniques that can cope with data-poor situations will prove most helpful, and with this in mind, three general approaches that can be used in data-poor situations and four specific examples of assessment techniques, are presented in this paper. Additionally, a brief summary of the current status of the OSPAR MPA network is provided.