Natura 2000 coverage in Europe's seas
The table indicates the total number of sites, the surface area and the percentage cover of Natura 2000 sites in the European marine regions, sub-regions and the relative distance belts from the coast.
EU surface area, percentage cover of Natura 2000 areas in European marine regions / sub-regions and percentage cover in nearshore (0-1 NM), territorial (1-12 NM) and offshore waters (12-END[1]).
| European regional seas and sub regions (sensu MSFD) | EU part of sea (km2) | Area covered by N2K (km2) | Total N2K sites (no) | EU waters covered by N2K (%) | Nearshore zone covered by N2K (%) | Territorial zone covered by N2K (%) | Offshore waters zone covered by N2K (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltic Sea | 368,717 | 57,105 | 958 | 15.5 | 32 | 17 | 9 |
| North East Atlantic Ocean | 3,381,022 | 266,537 | 840 | 7.9 | 57 | 32 | 6 |
| Celtic Seas | 494,302 | 37,942 | 287 | 7.7 | 54 | 12 | 6 |
| Greater North Sea, incl. the Kattegat and the English Channel | 226,230 | 62,449 | 286 | 27.6 | 64 | 41 | 19 |
| Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast | 803,327 | 132,737 | 206 | 16.5 | 61 | 38 | 14 |
| Macaronesia | 1,857,163 | 33,409 | 73 | 1.8 | 31 | 29 | 1 |
| Mediterranean Sea | 1,224,279 | 118,705 | 1235 | 9.7 | 46 | 19 | 4 |
| Western Mediterranean Sea | 659,585 | 67,761 | 541 | 10.3 | 56 | 25 | 5 |
| Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea | 254,475 | 19,825 | 173 | 7.8 | 55 | 27 | 1 |
| Adriatic Sea | 119,837 | 9,364 | 346 | 7.8 | 40 | 11 | 0 |
| Aegean-Levantine Sea | 190,382 | 21,755 | 188 | 11.4 | 36 | 11 | 6 |
| Black Sea | 64,340 | 9,191 | 44 | 14.3 | 85 | 51 | 6 |
| Total | 5,038,357 | 451,538 | 3,075[2] | 9.0 | 44 | 23 | 5 |
[1] The outer limit is defined by the 200NM boundary from the coast (possibly coinciding with formally recognized EEZ or EPZ boundaries) or by the presence of a boundary defined by an agreed treaty or by the median line. The limit corresponds to the boundary of the maritime area submitted by EU Members States under MSFD Articles 8, 9 and 10.
[2] The total number of sites is lower than the sum of sites at regional/sub-regional level, because some sites span across different regions or sub-regions.
NM = nautical miles; END = equidistance or 200 nautical miles.
The methodology and the procedure used for selecting the marine Natura 2000 sites from the 2018 tabular and spatial data are those illustrated in the EEA report 'Spatial analysis of marine protected area networks in Europe's seas' (2015).
Natura 2000 sites located outside the 200 NM in the North East Atlantic Ocean are not considered.
For the definition of Europe's seas, see the data set.
The table was produced by European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Waters, ETC/ICM. For full details, please see the report Spatial analysis of marine protected area networks in Europe's seas.
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European regional seas and sub regions (sensu MSFD) |
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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/natura-2000/natura-2000-coverage-in-european-seas-4 or scan the QR code.
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