The Marine Management Area Science (MMAS) Program combines social and biological sciences to study the management of multiple-use and protected marine areas. Coastal nations increasingly rely on such marine management area regimes to help preserve their regional biodiversity. The MMAS Program supports such endeavors and plays a leading role in the effort to improve effectiveness of marine management areas.

Conceived at the 2003 Defying Ocean's End Conference, the MMAS program was established in October 2005 with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

The program has already started making contributions to the development of marine area management. It played a significant role in a recent study of the Abrolhos Bank off northeast Brazil. The final report resulting from the study calls for the improvement of partnerships between stakeholders, including local communities, to better integrate marine and coastal resource management.
 

The MMAS program works to devise more efficient methods to protect marine habitats such as this thriving coral reef off the northeast coast of Madagascar.

Our Goals

Working with partners on the site, national and global levels, the MMAS Program has four primary goals:

• Quantifiably test the effectiveness of marine management regimes.
• Conduct research to design and implement effective management regimes.
• Establish the capacity for ongoing scientific research as the basis for successful adaptive management in marine management areas.
• Demonstrate that science can be used successfully by communities and policy makers to meet management goals.

In order to acheive these goals, the MMAS program works in six thematic areas: management effectiveness, connectivity, resiliency, economic and cultural valuations, conservation and economic development, and enforcement.