Climate change is rapidly transforming ocean conditions. Rising temperatures and shifting currents are disrupting ecosystems and causing marine species to move in new and often unpredictable ways. Coastal communities are affected by changes to coastlines, weather patterns, and access to marine resources, among other impacts. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are already experiencing the effects of climate change and managers must prepare for ongoing and future changes.

This toolkit is designed to help MPA managers plan for climate adaptation. While many responses will build on familiar strategies such as reducing local threats (e.g., controlling sediment runoff or limiting unsustainable fishing), the accelerating pace of change may also require a broader restructuring of MPA management. This could include actions such as implementing new funding models to support bleaching response or taking a more flexible planning approach that allows for trial and error. To remain effective in a changing climate, MPAs need to gain the capacity to operate under increasing uncertainty.

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