The Coastal Resources Center conducted a workshop on U.S. marine protected areas (MPAs)with the goals of:

1. Bringing the U.S. Northeast National Park Service (NE NPS) managers and staff up to date on the latest timing of and experience in establishing and managing MPAs.
2. Outlining strategies for implementing MPAs within and adjacent to park boundaries including addressing needs for cooperation with other federal and state agencies.
3. Making research recommendations to NE NPS and as appropriate to the Sea Grant/NOAA programs in each state. This involved representatives from each of the six Northeast parks, each state’s Department of Natural Resources/Coastal Zone Management, the NOAA Marine Protected Area Center, seven Sea Grant programs, NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and the marine protected areas in the Northeast, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (NE) and research scientists.

In general, the NPS boundary into marine and estuarine waters extends as a fairly narrow fringe from the shoreline. Thus, implementation of an effective MPA will most probably include cooperation and partnership from state and other interests.