CIIMAR project heads the Roadmap for Monitoring the National Network of Marine Protected Areas

Today (21 October 2025), a strategic document that proposes a set of 15 concrete and scheduled actions until 2030, with the aim of providing Portugal with a robust, coordinated and scientifically based monitoring programme for its marine protected areas.

The Roadmap now available here, designed within the scope of INDIMAR, a project led by CIIMAR, benefited from the collaboration of a group of experts from ICNF, DGRM, DRPM Azores, DRAM Madeira, IPMA, EMEPC, CCMAR, CESAM, OKEANOS, MARE-Madeira, Fundação Oceano Azul, WWF Portugal, and SPEA.

The importance of monitoring

Despite the growing number of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Portuguese territory, their monitoring continues to be fragile, uncoordinated and insufficient. Among the main obstacles identified are the lack of stable funding, poor coordination between competent authorities, the absence of reference data on marine biodiversity, and the lack of standardisation of indicators, methods and protocols for data collection and management.

Without monitoring, it is not possible to assess the performance of MPAs or ensure that they meet their objectives of protecting marine biodiversity.

According to João Garcia Rodrigues, a researcher at CIIMAR and head of this initiative, “without effective monitoring, the future National Network of Marine Protected Areas risks remaining on paper at a critical moment for marine biodiversity.” The Roadmap, which brings together contributions from experts in marine conservation, including researchers and representatives of non-governmental organisations and the main competent public entities, proposes concrete and timed actions “so that, by 2030, Portugal will have an operational monitoring programme, based on science and capable of supporting the effective protection of marine species, habitats and ecosystems that will be covered by the network of marine protected areas,” concludes the researcher.

15 actions for a functional model

With these goals in mind, the Roadmap for Monitoring the National Network of Marine Protected Areas (RNAMP), now available, sets out a phased and objective path to be achieved by 2030. Among the actions described, the following stand out:

• The creation of a coordination structure for the RNAMP.
• The reformulation of the Network’s objectives, making them clearer and more operational;
• The definition of a national monitoring strategy, with harmonised indicators and methods;
• The guarantee of stable public funding and permanent technical teams;
• The integration of ecological, social and governance dimensions, including the active participation of local communities, research centres, NGOs and other stakeholders.

These actions aim to generate robust, comparable and accessible scientific information, which is essential for assessing the performance of the RNAMP and guiding effective public policies for the conservation and restoration of marine biodiversity. At the same time, they aim to strengthen compliance with the international commitments made by Portugal within the framework of European directives and global conventions.

A national and international benchmark

“This is the first roadmap published in Portugal dedicated to monitoring a network of marine protected areas and is among the first of its kind internationally,” explains João Garcia Rodrigues. The document presents an innovative and operational approach, identifying not only the necessary actions, but also the responsible entities, the expected results and the conditions determining the success of its implementation.

The roadmap also recognises the work to be done in the future, including:

• The definition of baseline conditions for marine biodiversity covered by the RNAMP;
• The testing of 55 key monitoring indicators proposed in the INDIMAR project;
• The assessment of protection effects at local and network level, exploring ecological connectivity and the cumulative effects of conservation and restoration measures.

From political compromise to effective conservation tool

Effective implementation of the roadmap by 2030 could transform the RNAMP into a genuine tool for protecting marine biodiversity, enabling Portugal to meet its national and international objectives for ocean conservation and restoration.

However, the success of this roadmap depends on lasting political commitment, the provision of adequate technical and human resources, and continued monitoring beyond 2030.

Check the press release here.