Less than 0.5 per cent of Canada's ocean area is protected. Our oceans, and their productivity, are a key component to the overall health of the planet, our economy, and ourselves.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) protect sensitive and vulnerable marine ecosystems and the creatures that live within their boundaries. There is strong scientific consensus that MPAs with strict conservation regulations are a highly effective yet under-utilized tool to alleviate the global decline in marine ecosystem health.

I put together this report card for the Living Oceans Society, the David Suzuki Foundation and Sierra Club BC to illustrate Canada's poor performance on protecting ocean environments.

Check it out - it's something Canadian's should know. And, it's short and has lots of graphics.

To view the flash version of the report: http://naturechallenge.org/ReportCard/

To download the PDF: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/files/reports/MPAReportCard.pdf

Check it out - it's something Canadian's should know. And, it's short and has lots of graphics.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/Marine_Protected_Areas.asp