Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designed as a strategic tool for the long-term

conservation of the marine environment, including species, habitats, ecosystems and their

services as well as to ensure a sustainable management and use of marine resources. In spite of

the increasing efforts to strengthen and develop MPAs in the Mediterranean Sea, the level of

success and continuity over time of MPAs depends directly on the size and capacity of the

management teams, and their ability to work in appropriate conditions (Watson et al., 2014) and

thus indirectly on the budget available to support management teams and actions.