New edition of MAPAMED, the database of MArine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean

The MAPAMED database has evolved significantly since the 2017 edition. The new edition was released on April 2021. The new features of the database were presented during a webinar organized by UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC and MedPAN.

The new edition of MAPAMED takes into account all officially designated sites as of 31 December 2019. This represents 1,320 sites in total, of which 1,126 are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Among these MPAs, 257 have a national designation status.

The MAPAMED data have been validated by the Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity (SPA/BD) Focal Points, in the framework of the Barcelona Convention. These data can be viewed here.

The online viewer allows browsing and searching of spatial and attribute data. It also allows downloading the data and associated documentation, since all the data are licensed under Creative Commons.

Detailed information on the definitions and criteria that have been used as a basis for including sites in MAPAMED are available in the MAPAMED User Manual (April 2021 version) and the Release Notes (2019 edition).

A webinar (1 hour) held on 22 April 2021 was organized to present the new features of the database. Click here to watch the recording.

If you have any questions about the MAPAMED database, please send a message to contact@mapamed.org.