Domain 1 Marine Protected Area Preliminary Proposal – PART C: Biodiversity Analysis by MPA zones

Conservation objects comprise different extensions and are distributed differently in Doman 1; while some of them occupy very small areas –such as polynyas– others extend over larger areas -like benthic ecoregions. In general, it is complicated to protect all spatial features especiallywhen their distribution is complex. The Domain 1 MPA model was generated based on priority areas for conservation and taking into consideration the krill fishery and climate change. The model achieved the targets for almost 90% of the conservation objects, including the protection for all the areas considered to be important for birds, mammals and fishes. The proposed MPA fulfils the level of protection agreed by the international community for Domain 1. Substantial reductions of this MPA could potentially compromise - at least at some degree – the protection of the conservation objectives established by the Convention for the designation of MPA in Antarctica.