Are you referring to Marine Key Biodiversity Area? and Marine Protected Area? They are practically the same. They may differ on the target species or resources to be protected and conserved. MKBA could be a protected area focused on an endangered species or a charismatic species with the likes of whale shark, marine turtle, dugongs, etc. An MPA on the other hand, tends to protect and conserve the whole area of reefs, seagrass or mangroves, or interconnected several coastal habitats, usually aiming to improve the conditions of the area, in terms products produced and services delivered.
The two are not actually the same, globally. Protected areas are simply protected - with some degree of legal protection from activities such as fishing, mining, etc. Key biodiversity areas however, are defined by the biologically important species that are found inside their borders. These species might be assemblages of fish, total number os species of all taxa, or a specific group of organisms and their ecological relevance to an area (e.g., keystone species feeding grounds). Usually key biodiversity areas are areas that are simply high in species richness and offer an important area for abiotic and ecological reasons as well (upwelling, O2 rich areas, highly productive mangroves and estuaries, etc.). The important distinction here is that some key biodiversity areas have not yet been legally protected. Many stakeholders and conservation groups are working towards reaching compromises about what activities can and cannot be conducted in such areas. Like the bluefin tuna NOT being protected by CITES a few years ago, these are highly contentious issues with very powerful industries and politicians backing 'sustainable use' of these resources. Great people resources to read more include Sue Taei (CI) and many others working at the interface of science and marine policy. Good luck!
Hi,
I share David's answer: on the one hand, KBAs are areas where an assessment of knowledge related to endangered or other important species has led to recognize that this area has a high level of interest in terms of conservation. That's a "statement".
On the other hand, MPA are "responses". MPAs are management tools. Legal authorities may decide to protect one area through a legal framework (the regulation of the MPA) adapted to the issues (ecologic, social, economic...) that have been raised in this area. KBA might be one of these issues, or not, and there might be many other reason why an MPA has been set up in a given place.
As a consequence, I would say that your question should be stated on the reverse way: "how KBAs might be integrated into MPAs?"
and one part of the answer would then be that when KBA have been assessed on a good scientific basis, they might be good arguments when a legal authority decide to assess the issues related to the establishment of an MPA network in a study area. In this context, KBA might be valuable in showing where areas of high conservation value are.
Best,
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