MPA Europe is a three-year EU-funded project (Jan 2023 – Apr 2026) aiming to systematically map an optimal network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in all European seas that include as high a biodiversity of species, habitats and ecosystems as possible, and blue carbon stores. The project includes the first data-driven classification of ecosystems in European seas and range maps for thousands of species using data from Copernicus, EMODnet and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System. The results are freely available through the project’s online atlas. Stakeholders, including national and regional authorities, industry and NGOs, know where MPAs are located to optimise the inclusion of biodiversity and blue carbon through marine spatial planning in 30 % of European seas, and best meet the targets for marine protection by 2030.
