The Ocean

Marine Protected Areas

Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Map artwork Hiram Henriquez

Safe From Harm?


Across the globe, some 5,000 marine protected areas (MPAs) have been created. These preserves were established to safeguard the areas' wildlife and habitats—but results are mixed. Some MPAs are closed to all activities, but many are open for recreational use and others still allow commercial and sport fishing. Currently, less than 1 percent of the world's oceans are closed to fishing.

More About Marine Protected Areas

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    Pristine Seas Expeditions

    Pristine Seas is an exploration, research, and conservation project that aims to find, survey, and help protect the last healthy, undisturbed places in the ocean.

  • Photo: A profusion of schooling anthias all vie for a place in the blue in search of a nibble the swift currents bring in, Namena Reef, Fiji Islands, Pacific Ocean.

    MPAs, Yosemites of the Sea

    Ocean Conservancy has been working to protect some of the ocean’s most extraordinary places through the creation of MPAs—refuges where ocean life can recover and thrive.

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    Protect Planet Ocean

    The mission of Protect Planet Ocean is to inspire and inform better protection of our ocean, through the establishment of a global, representative network of successfully managed MPAs.

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    California MPA Educational Resources

    Find education and outreach resources that communicate the purpose, benefits, and science behind the California Central Coast network of MPAs.

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