| ACCOBAMS |
Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area |
| ANT |
Area natural turistica or touristic natural area, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba) |
| APRM |
Area protegida de recursos manejados or protected area of managed resources - includes Ramsar sites with wetlands of international importance, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba) |
| ASCI |
area of special conservation interest (Europe: MPA created under the Bern Convention) |
| ASCOBANS |
Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Sea |
| ASI |
area of special importance (Baltic, North, Black and Mediterranean seas: MPA for small cetaceans under ASCOBANS; or for all cetaceans under ACCOBAMS) |
| ASMA |
Antarctic Specially Managed Area, IUCN Category V area (initiated 2002) |
| ASPA |
Antarctic Specially Protected Area, IUCN Category I area (initiated 2002) |
| ATBA |
area to be avoided (states belonging to International Maritime Organization - IMO designation; area in which shipping is restricted, a modest designation more easily obtained than PSSAs) |
| BSEP |
Black Sea Environmental Programme (part of UNEP Regional Seas Programme) |
| BSPA |
Baltic Sea Protected Area (created under HELCOM) |
| CBD |
Convention on Biological Diversity |
| CCAMLR |
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources |
| CI |
Conservation International |
| CITES |
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora |
| CMS |
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals |
| CNSP |
Convention on Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific |
| CPPS |
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas of the South-East Pacific (part of UNEP Regional Seas Programme) |
| CSG |
Cetacean Specialist Group (part of the IUCN Species Survival Commission) |
| EBM |
ecosystem-based management |
| EEZ |
Exclusive Economic Zone |
| EC |
European Commission |
| ESA |
Endangered Species Act (US) |
| EU |
European Union |
| FRPA |
fisheries resources protected area (China, Japan) |
| GIS |
geographic information systems (for mapping) |
| HELCOM |
Helsinki Convention (Convention for the Protection of the Baltic Environment against all forms of Pollution) |
| HSMPA |
high seas MPA |
| HSUS |
Humane Society of the United States |
| I |
island |
| ICRAM |
Instituto Centrale per la Ricerca Applicata al Mare (Italy) |
| ICRW |
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling |
| IFAW |
International Fund for Animal Welfare |
| IMO |
International Maritime Organization |
| IUCN |
The World Conservation Union (formerly called the International Union for the Conservation of Nature) |
| IWC |
International Whaling Commission |
| LME |
large marine ecosystem |
| MAB |
Man and the Biosphere Programme (Unesco) |
| MARPOL |
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (IMO convention) |
| MCEA |
Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region |
| MPA |
marine protected area (common acronym for generic term used by most MPA practitioners worldwide); in Canada, a federally protected marine area designated under the Oceans Act by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO); in South Africa, the official name for all marine protected areas under the Marine Living Resources Act no 18 of 1998 |
| MR |
marine region |
| MWA |
marine wildlife area, in Canada, protected area created by Environment Canada under the Canada Wildlife Act |
| NAFO |
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization |
| NMCA |
National Marine Conservation Area, a Parks Canada marine area managed on partnership basis under federal government for sustainable use (allowing sustainable fishing but not mining, oil and gas exploration and ocean dumping) and containing smaller zones of high protection |
| NMFS |
National Marine Fisheries Service (US) |
| NMS |
national marine sanctuary (US flagship marine habitat protection programme (essentially IUCN Category VI protection) |
| NOAA |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US) |
| NOWPAP |
Northwest Pacific Programme (part of UNEP Regional Seas Programme) |
| NP |
national park (protection category in many countries, sometimes legal as in Australia; mainly applying to terrestrial but sometimes including marine areas) |
| NWR |
National Wildlife Refuge (US) |
| OBIS |
Ocean Biogeographic Information System |
| OSPAR |
Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment in the Northeast Atlantic |
| PA |
protected area |
| photo-ID |
photographic identification |
| PM |
parque marino or marine park (Spain/ Latin America) |
| PN |
parque natural or natural park, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba); parc national, in France, French Territories |
| PSSA |
Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (IMO designation for areas which need special protection due to their significance for ecological, socioeconomic or scientific reasons and which may be vulnerable to damage by maritime activities) |
| Ramsar |
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, also known as the Ramsar Convention |
| RB |
la reserva de biosfera or biosphere reserve, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba) |
| RE |
reserva ecologica or ecological reserve, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba) |
| RF |
refugio de fauna or wildlife refuge, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba) |
| RM |
reserva marina (Latin America: IUCN) |
| RN |
reserva natural or natural reserve, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba); also reserve naturelle in France |
| SAC |
special area of conservation as designated by each EU member nation in the European Community under the Habitats and Species Directive, forming part of the Natura 2000 network |
| SBSTTA |
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
|
| SIC |
sitio de interesse communitario or site of community interest (SCI) in the European Community (see SCI) |
| SCI |
site of community interest (European Community sites with EC-wide value) |
| SSC |
Species Survival Commission (part of the IUCN) |
| SSSI |
site of special scientific interest, e.g., in the UK and Hong Kong, usually a small PA created for scientific purposes; also used in the Antarctic pre-2002 |
| sp |
species (singular) |
| spp |
species (plural) or all species when following a genus |
| SPA |
special protected area under the 1999 SPA Protocol (Protocol for Special Protected Areas and Biological Diversity of the Barcelona Convention); also refers to significant populations of wild birds and their respective habitats under the EU Birds Directive; SPA is also the former name of specially protected areas in the Antarctic, now called ASPA |
| SPAMI |
special protected area of Mediterranean interest, as designated under the Barcelona Convention and the SPA Protocol (1999) |
| SPAW |
Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (part of the Cartagena Convention) |
| SPREP |
South Pacific Regional Environmental Program |
| UNCED |
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development |
| UNCLOS |
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| UNDP |
United Nations Development Programme |
| UNEP |
United Nations Environment Programme |
| Unesco |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| WCMC |
World Conservation Monitoring Centre (now called UNEP-WCMC) |
| WCPA |
World Commission on Protected Areas |
| WDCS |
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society |
| WDFW |
(State of) Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife |
| WHC |
World Heritage Convention (Convention for the Protection of the World, Natural and Cultural Heritage) (Unesco) |
| WSSD |
World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Summit) |
| WWF |
Worldwide Fund for Nature |
| ZEC |
zona especiais de conserva_o or special area of conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats and Species Directive (Portugal, Azores and Madeira) |
| ZPE |
zona de protec_o especial or special area of protection (refers to significant populations of wild birds and their respective habitats under the EU Birds Directive) (Portugal, Azores and Madeira) |
