Total extent and proportion of protected areas at sea

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Headline data

Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
Year Value Units Series Observation status Unit multiplier
1950 0.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1951 0.01 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1952 0.02 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1953 0.03 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1954 0.04 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1955 0.05 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1956 0.08 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1957 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1958 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1959 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1960 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1961 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1962 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1963 0.09 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1964 0.1 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1965 0.1 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1966 0.12 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1967 0.12 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1968 0.13 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1969 0.13 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1970 0.13 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1971 0.13 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1972 0.21 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1973 0.22 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1974 0.23 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1975 0.23 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1976 0.25 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1977 0.25 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1978 0.25 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1979 0.26 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1980 0.26 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1981 0.26 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1982 0.26 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1983 0.26 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1984 0.26 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1985 0.28 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1986 0.3 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1987 0.3 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1988 0.31 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1989 0.31 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1990 0.34 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1991 0.34 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1992 0.34 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1993 0.35 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1994 0.39 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1995 0.4 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1996 1.08 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1997 1.24 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1998 1.27 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1999 1.31 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2000 1.32 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2001 1.37 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2002 1.38 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2003 1.47 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2004 1.47 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2005 1.47 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2006 1.54 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2007 1.6 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2008 1.9 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2009 2.11 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2010 4.28 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2011 5.68 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2012 8.47 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2013 9.49 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2014 16.33 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2015 16.34 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2016 18.83 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2017 23.45 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2018 23.63 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
2019 24.65 Percentage (%) Proportion of marine protected area Undefined Unit
1950 0.0 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1951 0.01 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1952 0.02 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1953 0.02 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1954 0.04 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1955 0.04 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1956 0.07 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1957 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1958 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1959 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1960 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1961 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1962 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1963 0.08 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1964 0.09 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1965 0.09 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1966 0.11 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1967 0.11 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1968 0.11 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1969 0.11 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1970 0.11 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1971 0.12 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1972 0.19 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1973 0.19 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1974 0.2 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1975 0.2 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1976 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1977 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1978 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1979 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1980 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1981 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1982 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1983 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1984 0.23 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1985 0.25 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1986 0.27 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1987 0.27 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1988 0.27 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1989 0.27 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1990 0.3 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1991 0.3 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1992 0.3 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1993 0.31 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1994 0.35 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1995 0.35 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1996 0.96 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1997 1.1 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1998 1.13 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
1999 1.16 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2000 1.17 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2001 1.21 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2002 1.22 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2003 1.3 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2004 1.3 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2005 1.3 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2006 1.36 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2007 1.41 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2008 1.68 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2009 1.87 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2010 3.79 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2011 5.04 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2012 7.5 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2013 8.41 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2014 14.47 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2015 14.48 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2016 16.69 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2017 20.78 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2018 20.94 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million
2019 21.84 Hectares Marine protected area extent Undefined Million

Source: Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)

Geographical Area: United Kingdom

Unit of Measurement: Million hectares / Percentage (%)

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from UK statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from UK statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other UK-specific metadata information.

Indicator available

Total extent and proportion of protected areas at sea
Indicator description

The extent measures are a calculation of the net (non-overlapping) extent of protected areas using mean high water as the boundary between the at-sea and on-land measures. The proportion measures are a percentage of UK marine extent contained within marine protected areas.
Geographical coverage

United Kingdom
Unit of measurement

Million hectares / Percentage (%)
Definitions

Data is based on calendar year of site designation. For 2019, the data cut-off is 31 May.

The boundary between protected areas on-land and at-sea is mean high water (mean high water spring in Scotland). Coastal sites in the indicator are split between ‘on-land’ and ‘at-sea’ if they cross the mean high water mark. At-sea extent includes offshore marine protected areas out to the limit of the UK continental shelf.

Extent is based on the following site designations - Areas of Special Scientific Interest, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserves, Marine Conservation Zones, Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, Special Areas of Conservation (including candidate Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of Community Importance), Special Protection Areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Scenic Areas, National Parks.

Many protected areas in the UK cover the same physical parcels of land, but for different reasons; as a result the designation types can overlap. For example, it is possible for an individual site to be designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar site and National Nature Reserve (NNR), and could also be part of a National Park, an AONB (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) or National Scenic Area (NSA).
Available disaggregations
Calculations

No calculations on the source data were required. See C1. Protected Areas for more information on methodology.
Other information

This indicator is a component of UK Biodiversity Indicator C1. Protected areas which comprises two additional measures, 'Total extent of protected areas - on-land', and 'Condition of Areas / Sites of Special Scientific Interest'.

This indicator is being used as an approximation of the UN SDG Indicator. Where possible, we will work to identify or develop UK data to meet the global indicator specification. This indicator has not been identified in collaboration with topic experts.
Data last updated 21 September 2021
Metadata last updated 01 December 2021

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator name

Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
Target name

By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Global indicator description
UN designated tier

Tier II
UN custodian agency

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Link to UN metadata United Nations Sustainable Development Goals metadata for target 14.2 opens in a new window
Organisation

Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
Periodicity

Annual
Earliest available data

1950
Geographical coverage

United Kingdom
Link to data source C1. Protected areas opens in a new window
Release date 05 September 2019
Next release

TBC
Statistical classification

Official Statistic
Contact details

comment@jncc.gov.uk
Other information

Total extent of protected areas - at sea
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