This document deals with the latter two approaches. It recognizes that effective conservation of the marine environment can only be achieved by the creation of integrated management regimes which deal with all human activities and their effects. These regimes will consist either of general regulation of human activities affecting the marine environment supplemented by the provision of special protection for particular areas - small Marine Protected Areas, or of the creation of a much larger Marine Protected Area with levels of protection varying within it according to a zoning plan. In this document the term Marine Protected Area (MPA) applies to marine and estuarine areas.This document presents a framework and identifies components that must be addressed. It draws heavily on some particular examples, but we emphasise that for each marine area within each of the world's seas the issues, the opportunities and consequently the form of apparently effective solutions differ. The detail of approaches to marine conservation and the establishment of marine protected areas must be custom designed for each area. This document may help by discussing the issues which should be considered and by describing some common approaches to management problems.