Norwegian MPAs: activity regulation and MPA Guide Levels of Protection

This dataset provides a comprehensive spatial inventory of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Norwegian waters (previously inexistent), also classified according to The MPA Guide Levels of Protection framework. It consolidates spatial boundaries, regulatory information, and activity-based assessments that were previously dispersed across multiple national and international sources.The dataset includes georeferenced polygon layers representing MPAs and zones, together with a comprehensive attribute table describing designation type, typologies, allowed and prohibited human activities, inferred and validated fishing gear occurrence, and the resulting protection level for each site. Levels of Protection were assigned based on the most impactful activity present among the seven categories defined by The MPA Guide (mining, dredging and dumping, infrastructure, anchoring, aquaculture, fisheries and non-extractive uses). Fisheries data incorporated national regulations, gear operability constraints, expert validation, and AIS data where available. Files are provided in standard, open formats (GeoPackage, Excel table, and metadata: README_Norway_MPAs_MPAguide_metadata.xlsx) to facilitate reuse in GIS software, spatial analyses, and integration with international data platforms. The data are suitable for applications such as marine spatial planning, assessments of MPA effectiveness, policy monitoring, and comparative analyses across regions. This repository represents the authoritative release of the Norwegian MPA protection-level dataset associated with the accompanying Data in Brief publication. Future updates or refinements will be versioned within this repository.