As the world’s largest surface freshwater system, the Laurentian Great Lakes provide essential habitats to thousands of species, drinking water for over 40 million people, and significant economic and cultural value to the residents of Canada, the US, and Indigenous Nations. To address biodiversity loss, Canada and the US have each committed to protecting 30% of lands, marine waters, and freshwater by 2030 (i.e., 30x30) through the Global Biodiversity Framework and America the Beautiful initiative, respectively. US and Canadian progress towards achieving 30x30 targets in freshwater systems lags behind progress in oceans. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of many strategies both the US and Canada have deployed to protect aquatic ecosystems and cultural resources and could be a significant tool for achieving 30x30 targets in the Great Lakes. 

We worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Parks Canada to evaluate how their Great Lakes MPA programs are positioned to achieve 30x30 targets. Our primary goals were to (1) assess the values federal MPAs currently provide for the Great Lakes and (2) evaluate ways for NOAA and Parks Canada to achieve a more cohesive, collaborative, and effective Great Lakes MPA network. As part of an integrated evaluation, we reviewed agency, academic, and gray literature; conducted 33 semi-structured interviews with agency staff, researchers, environmental advocacy leaders, citizens of Indigenous Nations, and local stakeholders; and developed supporting maps. To create evaluation criteria, we reviewed and synthesized nine existing protected area evaluation frameworks. Our analysis focused on NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries (NMSs) and Parks Canada’s National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs).

Reviewing NOAA’s and Parks Canada’s MPA program goals, we found that while each agency’s national goals generally align with 30x30 goals, the agencies have opportunities to develop a set of binational outcomes specific to the Great Lakes. We observed consistent support for the agencies’ bottom-up approaches to siting and designation. However, the agencies have an opportunity to advance connectivity by developing a regional strategy concerning other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), which achieve conservation outcomes without having express conservation goals. Additionally, while NOAA’s and Parks Canada’s informal and formal partnerships with other organizations are important for governance, the agencies can strategically build on existing partnerships (e.g., with fishery managers) to expand the conservation impact of MPAs. Monitoring and evaluation of MPAs is critical for adaptive management and demonstrating conservation outcomes, but existing monitoring programs are resource-limited. NOAA and Parks Canada can supplement monitoring programs through strategic qualitative evaluations, academic partnerships, and emerging technologies. Finally, although Great Lakes MPAs provide significant educational and research benefits, opportunities exist to expand educational outreach to urban communities and promote research that advances climate change mitigation, fisheries management, and demonstrating conservation performance.

While MPAs benefit Great Lakes ecosystems and communities, the full potential of MPAs remains largely untapped. We hope our report will help NOAA and Parks Canada bolster their strategies to reach conservation goals and demonstrate the value of MPAs in the Great Lakes.