The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences (XMAS 2025)

With the continuous development of China's marine economy, the pressure on the marine environment and ecosystems in coastal areas is intensifying. Marine protected areas (MPAs), as an effective tools of protecting the marine ecological environment and biodiversity, have been widely applied in recently years, which have achieving significant accomplishments and results. This research conducts a systematic review about management of MPAs in China, elaborationg on the current status and management system of these areas. The results reveal that the management and construction of MPAs faces several challenges, such as lack of top-level design, weak management capacity and maintenance conditions, insufficient management personnel and funding, and imbalanced spatial development. Under reform of state institutions in protected areas in 2018, the new management system of MPAs have been established.The research proposes suggestions for the development of marine protected areas in China, including expanding the areas of MPAs, building a conservation network system regarding ecological connectivity, enhancing management capacity, and strengthening public education and awareness on marine protection.

marine protected areas,management system,current status,development strategy,China