Scientific Steering Committee for Marine Protected Areas in Israel
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, together with Yad Hanadiv (the Rothschild Foundation) and local NGOs have recently partnered to establish seven Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering 20% of Israel’s territorial water, and ensuring adequate long-term science based management for them. Ecological systems in the Eastern Mediterranean are changing rapidly due to climate change, opening of the Suez Canal, overfishing and accelerated development (due mainly to the recent discovery of large gas reservoirs in the area). Unfortunately, there is too little scientific research in the region and many knowledge gaps exist.