Managing marine protected areas in Europe: Moving from ‘feature-based’ to ‘whole-site’ management of sites

In 2016 the UK government initiated a major constitutional change as a consequence of the vote to leave the European Union (EU) (‘Brexit’). A significant aspect to this transfer includes EU environmental regulations that relate to UK Marine Protected Area (MPA) designations. As such, there is an opportunity to take stock of the UK's current approach to MPA management. Here we provide an evidence-based argument for moving from the current costly and overly complex system of MPA designation that requires setting conservation objectives and managing activities for individual conservation features. We suggest moving to comprehensive management measures for sites that deliver ecosystem-based conservation across suites of habitats. Empirical peer-reviewed studies of current approaches to management, legal instruments and ensuing conservation results are analysed to make the case.