So much has been done to bring in recent legislation under the Marine and Coastal Access Act to designate new tranches of MPAs, and take heed of these alongside existing MPAs during development planning. But the question remains – are the UK’s MPAs being effective in bringing benefits to the ecology and local communities? I.e. is the management effective? GoBe present an overview of the MPA management themes and criteria used to assess MPAs in WWF’s new ‘Compass Tool’; and highlight areas where greater benefit could be drawn as illustrated through case studies from across the world. To view the full report click here.