Conservationists push to protect marine areas.

• Position: Brief article

Conservationists are increasing their efforts to establish a global network of marine protected areas in response to the deteriorating health of the world's oceans.

Marine "parks" that ban fishing, development, and other commercial activity to allow the recovery of fish populations and wild ecosystems have become popular strategies in recent years. More than one-third of marine ecosystems is seriously threatened by human activities, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Currently, only some 0.08 percent of the world's oceans is protected, and 0.2 percent of the total marine area within national jurisdictions prohibits extractive industries.

To accelerate marine efforts, environmentalists recently announced priority regions to create marine protected areas (MPAs). Of particular concern is protecting high-value areas in the "high seas"--the 45 percent of the world's oceans that belongs to no...