SANBI Metadata
2025 Marine threat status and protection level results
The NBA relies on two headline indicators that can be applied to both ecosystems and species, namely threat status and protection level. Threat status is based on the IUCN risk assessment framework for species and ecosystems. Protection level was developed in South Africa for national reporting and addresses the extent to which ecosystems and where feasible, species are protected. These headline indicators provide a way of comparing results meaningfully across the different realms and provides a standardised framework that links with policy and legislation in South Africa, thus facilitating the interface between science and policy.
This spatial file contains the polygons of each marine ecosystem type name, threat status and protection level.
The 2025 threat status assessment of South Africa’s 163 marine ecosystem types was conducted using the 2024 Guidelines for the application of IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria and drawing from previous NBA assessments. The IUCN Criteria A-D were applied using pressure and condition maps from the 2018 assessment. Both the extent and severity of ecosystem degradation were considered by calculating the extent of ecosystem types in each of the four ecosystem condition categories. Condition assessments were based on an ecosystem pressure matrix that is used to weight the impact of each pressure on each ecosystem type.
The 2025 ecosystem protection level assessment for marine ecosystems applied a 30% protection target for all ecosystem types to align with the Global Biodiversity Forum target. When calculating the percentage of area within an MPA, the area contributions were scaled by condition. The protection contribution was scaled in alignment with the IUCN RLE criteria C and D thresholds of modification. Further, in order for a marine ecosystem type to qualify for the Well Protected category, at least 30% of the ecosystem type (i.e. the ecosystem target) needs to be in a natural or near natural ecological condition. If this rule was not met, the ecosystem was categorised as Moderately Protected.
For further details, see the relevant ecosystem threat status and protection level pages.
Simple
- Date (Publication)
- 2025-12-09T11:00:00
- Purpose
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This layer includes the threat status, protection level and condition of the Estuarine Ecosystems 2025 assessed for the National Biodiversity Assessment 2025
- Status
- On going
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
- Maintenance note
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Threat status and protection level will be re-assessed with each new NBA.
- Theme
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Marine
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Threat status
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Protection level
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- Use limitation
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This data layer may not be reproduced by any means, nor redistributed via web site or ftp site, without prior permission. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of data, users are advised to use the data and conclusions drawn from its use with caution. Users noting errors and omissions are requested to notify the data custodian (N.besseling@sanbi.org.za) to improve data accuracy. These data are not for resale or replicating. This digital version is in the public domain requiring only the conventional acknowledgement of source in publications and reports. N.besseling@sanbi.org This data layer may not be reproduced by any means, nor redistributed via web site or ftp site, without prior permission. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of data, users are advised to use the data and conclusions drawn from its use with caution. Users noting errors and omissions are requested to notify the data custodian (N.besseling@sanbi.org.za) to improve data accuracy. These data are not for resale or replicating. This digital version is in the public domain requiring only the conventional acknowledgement of source in publications and reports.
- Access constraints
- Copyright
- Use constraints
- otherRestictions
- Spatial representation type
- Vector
- Denominator
- 50000
- Language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Topic category
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- Environment
- Biota
- Inland waters
- Begin date
- 2025-01-01
- End date
- 2025-12-09
))
- Supplemental Information
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PROJCS["AEA_RSA_WGS84",GEOGCS["GCS_WGS_1984",DATUM["D_WGS_1984",SPHEROID["WGS_1984",6378137.0,298.257223563]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0.0],UNIT["Degree",0.0174532925199433]],PROJECTION["Albers"],PARAMETER["False_Easting",0.0],PARAMETER["False_Northing",0.0],PARAMETER["Central_Meridian",25.0],PARAMETER["Standard_Parallel_1",-24.0],PARAMETER["Standard_Parallel_2",-33.0],PARAMETER["Latitude_Of_Origin",0.0],UNIT["Meter",1.0]]
Distributor
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
- Statement
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The first marine ecosystem threat status and protection level assessments were done in 2018. While the 2018 protection level assessment used a standard 20% marine target with an additional rule applied, the 2025 assessment applied a 30% target for all ecosystem types. Additionally, in 2025 when calculating the percentage of area within an MPA, the area contributions were scaled by condition. In 2018 the threat status was calculated using the pre-2024 IUCN Red List of Ecosystems guidelines, and modified thresholds under Criterion B, while the 2025 assessment used the updated 2024 IUCN guidelines and did not alter any of the criteria. New aspects that were considered in the 2025 threat status assessment included Criterion A.
Changes in ecosystem threat status and protection level between 2018 and 2025 are caused by the increased target and improved methodology rather than genuine changes in protection or ecological condition.
- File identifier
- deba8a90-9110-447a-8c6f-bfad15e522b0 XML
- Metadata language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Date stamp
- 2026-05-24T08:07:52
- Metadata standard name
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SANS 1878
- Metadata standard version
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FGDC-STD-001-1998
Overviews
Spatial extent
Provided by
