According to the "Status of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean" published in 2012, Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean display the following characteristics: 

The information on Mediterranean MPAs is now more accurate, they have been geo-located and their data recorded in the MAPAMED database (+)

The target of 10% protection is far from being achieved (+)

There is still a disproportionate geographical distribution in MPAs between the southern, eastern and northern shores of the Mediterranean and MPAs are still mainly on the coast (+)

Representativeness of ecological sub-regions, habitats and species is very variable (+)

The adequacy and viability of sites is very variable (+)

The ecological coherence is better in the western basin, but still low on a Mediterranean scale (+)

MPA management is still insufficient (+)