Conservation and protection of marine ecosystems: concepts, tools and examples of activities

This paper discusses the evolution of concepts and tools in conservation ecology and its application to the particular case of marine ecosystems. The consideration of ecosystem services and functions has contributed to the extended use of an "ecosystem management" approach, this being particularly relevant, at the regional scale, in relation with coastal wetland ecosystems in a framework of global change. The potential and limitations of marine protected areas are discussed and the need of linking them in ecological networks is stressed, identifying the main principles driving its operativity. Finally, two examples about marine conservation initiatives are show for the regional seas of Andalusia: the Alboran Sea and the Gulf of Cadiz.