The Ross Sea marine protected area (MPA) was originally championed by New Zealand and the United States and was agreed to by the 25-member states of the Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). This significant effort in global marine protection balances environmental protection, sustainable fishing and science interests. It came into effect in December 2017, based on more than ten years of research and global diplomacy.

The Ross Sea MPA sets out to conserve the area’s ecology, mitigate threats to ecosystems from fishing, and provide a reference area to better gauge the effects of fishing and climate change over time. The MPA will cease in 2052, and proof of the effectiveness of the MPA is needed for it to continue beyond this 35 year period.

Dr Matt Pinkerton will talks us through how NIWA’s Ross Sea Research and Monitoring Programme (Ross RAMP) will establish how the impacts of the MPA can be demonstrated.