Criteria
In 2008, the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9) adopted the following scientific criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas in need of protection in open-ocean waters and deep-sea habitats.
CBD scientific criteria for ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSAs) (annex I, decision IX/20)
- Uniqueness or Rarity
- Special importance for life history stages of species
- Importance for threatened, endangered or declining species and/or habitats
- Vulnerability, Fragility, Sensitivity, or Slow recovery
- Biological Productivity
- Biological Diversity
- Naturalness
For more details on the EBSA criteria, please see:
Brochure for the Scientific Criteria and Guidance for Identifying EBSAs and Designing Representative Networks of Marine Protected Areas in Open Ocean Waters and Deep Sea Habitats
