Master of Environmental Data Science
(2023)
Improving Monitoring and Evaluation of Marine Enforcement in Coastal Marine Protected Areas and Fisheries
Deliverables:
Description
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are ocean areas protected from human activities, and typically include fishing limitations. MPAs can improve the health of marine species and habitats, and are a critical tool in ocean conservation efforts. However, their effectiveness is often limited by a lack of enforcement, which allows for extensive illegal fishing despite their protected status. WildAid Marine partners with MPAs globally to improve law enforcement measures. They designed the Marine Protection System (MPS) Tracker to quantify and monitor progress in MPA enforcement. Through this project, we will create an automated reproducible workflow to streamline data entry and analysis for the MPS Tracker, as well as a data visualization tool. This project will allow WildAid Marine to increase their efficiency in monitoring and improving MPA enforcement, and successfully share their accomplishments with donors and stakeholders.
