Download List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
ACCOBAMS Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and
Contiguous Atlantic Area
ANT
Área natural turistica or touristic natural area, in some Latin American countries (eg,
Cuba)
APRM
Área 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, North East Atlantic,
Irish and North Seas
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
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
CoP
Conference of Parties
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
EEC
European Economic Community
ESA
Endangered Species Act (US)
EU
European Union
FRPA
Fisheries resources protected area (China, Japan)
GHG
Greenhouse gas
GIS
Geographic information systems (for mapping)
GPS
Global Positioning System
HELCOM
Helsinki Convention (Convention for the Protection of the Baltic Environment against
all forms of Pollution)
HSMPA
High seas MPA
I
Island
ICRAM
Instituto Centrale per la Ricerca Applicata al Mare (Italy)
Original author WDCS (EH), modified WDCS (CBS) 17th October 2009
ICRW
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
IMO
International Maritime Organization
IPPC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
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)
MESs
Multilateral Environmental Agreements
MCEA
Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region
MOD
UK Ministry of Defence (UK)
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
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NGO
Non Governmental 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
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
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
POPs
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Original author WDCS (EH), modified WDCS (CBS) 17th October 2009
ppb
Parts per billion
ppm
Parts per million
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)
R&D
Research and Development
RE
Reserva ecológica or ecological reserve, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba)
RF
Refugio de fauna or wildlife refuge, in some Latin American countries (eg, Cuba)
RFMO
Regional Fisheries Management Organiztions
RM
Reserva marina (Latin America: IUCN)
RN
Royal Navy
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 communitário or site of community interest (SCI) in the European
Community (see SCI)
SCI
Site of community interest (European Community sites with EC-wide value)
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
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
SPRFMO
South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization
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
UN
United Nations
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)
Original author WDCS (EH), modified WDCS (CBS) 17th October 2009
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’s Natural and
Cultural Heritage) (Unesco)
WSSD
World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Summit)
WTO
World Trade Organization
ZEC
Zona especiais de conservação or special area of conservation (SAC) under the EU
Habitats and Species Directive (Portugal, Azores and Madeira)
ZPE
Zona de protecção 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)
Original author WDCS (EH), modified WDCS (CBS) 17th October 2009