How long will it take to develop a national system of MPAs?
Developing a national system of MPAs is a long process. First, NOAA and the Department of the Interior are building a database of federal, state, commonwealth, territory, and tribal marine managed areas in the United States. Once the inventory process is complete, it will be used to form a pool from which sites may be considered for placement on a list of MPAs. The list of MPAs will be determined after an administrative process for listing has been established. Once the list of MPAs has been made, a national system of MPAs will be defined and in place.
