"A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated
ecosystem services and cultural values."[1][2]
This definition is intended to make it more difficult to claim MPA status for regions where exploitation of marine resources occurs. If there is no defined long-term goal for conservation and ecological recovery and extraction of marine resources occurs, a region is not a marine protected area.[2]
As of June 2019 there are 14,830 marine protected areas with a total area of 27,495,595 km2 (10,616,109 sq mi) representing 7.59% of the ocean.[3]
Africa
Mozambique
Bazaruto National Park – Marine and terrestrial protected area in the Bazaruto Archipelago in MozambiquePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, 1971, 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi)[4]
The listed MPAs were individually proclaimed. Some were later consolidated with adjacent MPAs and may not still be generally referred to by the original name.
Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area at Aliwal Shoal off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, (2004),[6] 670 km2 (260 sq mi)
Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area in the Langebaan lagoon in the Western Cape province of South Africa, (2000),[6] 280 km2 (110 sq mi)
Malgas Island Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area on the west coast in the Western Cape province in South Africa, (2000),[6] 0.66 km2 (0.25 sq mi)
Maputaland Marine Protected Area – Marine protected area (MPA) along the Indian Ocean coastline of northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, (2000),[6] 384.54 km2 (148.47 sq mi)
Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area in the waters of the Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, (2013),[6] 181,229.46 km2 (69,973.09 sq mi)
Protea Banks Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area in the coastal waters of southern kwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, (2019),[5] 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi)
Robberg Marine Protected Area – Conservation area at the Robberg peninsula in South AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, (2000),[6] 42 km2 (16 sq mi)
Southwest Indian Seamounts Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area south of Stilbaai in the Western Cape in South AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, (2019),[5] 7,500 km2 (2,900 sq mi)
North Network – Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government
Arafura Marine Park – marine protected areaPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
Arnhem Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North Marine Parks network
Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Gulf of Carpentaria, offshore of Queensland, (2018), 23,771 km2 (9,178 sq mi),IUCN category VI
Limmen Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North Marine Parks network
Oceanic Shoals Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of the Northern Territory, near Darwin, (2018), 71,743 km2 (27,700 sq mi) ,IUCN category VI
West Cape York Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of Queensland, 16,012 km2 (6,182 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Wessel Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North Marine Parks network
North-west Network – Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government
Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park – Australian marine park north-west of Broome, Western Australia, (2018), 146,003 km2 (56,372 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Ashmore Reef Marine Park – Protected marine park in Australia, (1983), 146,003 km2 (56,372 sq mi), IUCN category Ia.
Carnarvon Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North-West Network, Western Australia
Cartier Island Marine Park – Protected marine park in Australia (2000) 172 km2 (66 sq mi), IUCN category Ia
Dampier Marine Park – Australian marine park north-east of Karratha, Western Australia, (2018), 1,252 m2 (13,480 sq ft), IUCN category VI
Gascoyne Marine Park – Australian marine park west of the Cape Range Peninsula, Western Australia, (2018), 81,766 km2 (31,570 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Kimberley Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia, near the Kimberley region, (2018), 74,469 km2 (28,753 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Mermaid Reef Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Rowley Shoals north-west of Broome, Western Australia, (1991), 540 km2 (210 sq mi), IUCN category II
Central Eastern Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore from the edge of the continental shelf off New South Wales, (2018), 70,054 km2 (27,048 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Cod Grounds Marine Park – Australian marine park off Laurieton, New South Wales, (2007), 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi), UCN category II
Gifford Marine Park – Australian marine protection areaPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
Hunter Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Temperate East Marine Parks network
Jervis Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Temperate East Marine Parks network
Lord Howe Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of New South Wales, near Lord Howe Island, (2018), 110,126 km2 (42,520 sq mi),IUCN category IV
Norfolk Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of Norfolk Island, (2018), 188,444 km2 (72,759 sq mi), IUCN category IV
South-east Network – Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government
Apollo Marine Park – Marine park in Australia in Bass Strait off the coast of Victoria, (2007), 2,928 km2 (1,131 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area in the Bass Strai off Victoria, (2007), 2,928 km2 (1,131 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Boags Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area in Bass Strait off north-west Tasmania, (2007), 537 km2 (207 sq mi), IUCN category VI
East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protexted area near the New South Wales-Victoria border, (2007), 4,137 km2 (1,597 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Flinders Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area off north-east Tasmania, (2007), 27,043 km2 (10,441 sq mi), IUCN category II
Freycinet Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area off the east coast of Tasmania., (2007), 57,942 km2 (22,372 sq mi) , IUCN category II
Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area south of Hobart, Tasmania, (2007), 9,991 km2 (3,858 sq mi) , IUCN category VI
Macquarie Island Marine Park – Australian Marine Park near Macquarie Island in the southwest Pacific, (1999), 162,000 km2 (63,000 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Murray Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area off the coast of South Australia, (2007), 25,803 km2 (9,963 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Nelson Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area near the South Australia-Victoria border, (2007), 6,123 km2 (2,364 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Geographe Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Great Australian Bight Marine Park – Marine protected area in the Great Australian Bight off South Australia, (2012), 45,926 km2 (17,732 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Jurien Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Murat Marine Park – protected area in AustraliaPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback, (2012), 937.77 km2 (362.08 sq mi), IUCN category II
South-west Corner Marine Park – Marine protected area off Western Australia, (2013), 271,833 km2 (104,955 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park – Marine protected area south of Kangaroo Island in South Australia, (2012), 629.93 km2 (243.22 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Twilight Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Two Rocks Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Western Eyre Marine Park – Marine protected area in the Great Australian Bight, off South Australia, (2012), 57,946 km2 (22,373 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park – Marine protected area south-west of Kangaroo Island in Australia, (2012), 2,335.31 km2 (901.67 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Marae Moana – Marine protected area in the Cook Islands, (2017), 1,981,965 km2 (765,241 sq mi),[7] IUCN Category VI.[25]
New Zealand
Poor Knights Islands – Group of islands and marine reserve off the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, 1981, 19.22 km2 (7.42 sq mi), IUCN Category Ia.[26]
Tawharanui – peninsula and wildlife refuge in New ZealandPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback, 2011, 3.94 km2 (1.52 sq mi), IUCN Category Ia.[30]
"A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated
ecosystem services and cultural values."[1][2]
This definition is intended to make it more difficult to claim MPA status for regions where exploitation of marine resources occurs. If there is no defined long-term goal for conservation and ecological recovery and extraction of marine resources occurs, a region is not a marine protected area.[2]
As of June 2019 there are 14,830 marine protected areas with a total area of 27,495,595 km2 (10,616,109 sq mi) representing 7.59% of the ocean.[3]
Africa
Mozambique
Bazaruto National Park – Marine and terrestrial protected area in the Bazaruto Archipelago in MozambiquePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, 1971, 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi)[4]
The listed MPAs were individually proclaimed. Some were later consolidated with adjacent MPAs and may not still be generally referred to by the original name.
Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area at Aliwal Shoal off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, (2004),[6] 670 km2 (260 sq mi)
Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area in the Langebaan lagoon in the Western Cape province of South Africa, (2000),[6] 280 km2 (110 sq mi)
Malgas Island Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area on the west coast in the Western Cape province in South Africa, (2000),[6] 0.66 km2 (0.25 sq mi)
Maputaland Marine Protected Area – Marine protected area (MPA) along the Indian Ocean coastline of northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, (2000),[6] 384.54 km2 (148.47 sq mi)
Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area in the waters of the Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, (2013),[6] 181,229.46 km2 (69,973.09 sq mi)
Protea Banks Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area in the coastal waters of southern kwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, (2019),[5] 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi)
Robberg Marine Protected Area – Conservation area at the Robberg peninsula in South AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, (2000),[6] 42 km2 (16 sq mi)
Southwest Indian Seamounts Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area south of Stilbaai in the Western Cape in South AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, (2019),[5] 7,500 km2 (2,900 sq mi)
North Network – Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government
Arafura Marine Park – marine protected areaPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
Arnhem Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North Marine Parks network
Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Gulf of Carpentaria, offshore of Queensland, (2018), 23,771 km2 (9,178 sq mi),IUCN category VI
Limmen Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North Marine Parks network
Oceanic Shoals Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of the Northern Territory, near Darwin, (2018), 71,743 km2 (27,700 sq mi) ,IUCN category VI
West Cape York Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of Queensland, 16,012 km2 (6,182 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Wessel Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North Marine Parks network
North-west Network – Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government
Argo-Rowley Terrace Marine Park – Australian marine park north-west of Broome, Western Australia, (2018), 146,003 km2 (56,372 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Ashmore Reef Marine Park – Protected marine park in Australia, (1983), 146,003 km2 (56,372 sq mi), IUCN category Ia.
Carnarvon Marine Park – Australian marine park in the North-West Network, Western Australia
Cartier Island Marine Park – Protected marine park in Australia (2000) 172 km2 (66 sq mi), IUCN category Ia
Dampier Marine Park – Australian marine park north-east of Karratha, Western Australia, (2018), 1,252 m2 (13,480 sq ft), IUCN category VI
Gascoyne Marine Park – Australian marine park west of the Cape Range Peninsula, Western Australia, (2018), 81,766 km2 (31,570 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Kimberley Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia, near the Kimberley region, (2018), 74,469 km2 (28,753 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Mermaid Reef Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Rowley Shoals north-west of Broome, Western Australia, (1991), 540 km2 (210 sq mi), IUCN category II
Central Eastern Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore from the edge of the continental shelf off New South Wales, (2018), 70,054 km2 (27,048 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Cod Grounds Marine Park – Australian marine park off Laurieton, New South Wales, (2007), 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi), UCN category II
Gifford Marine Park – Australian marine protection areaPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
Hunter Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Temperate East Marine Parks network
Jervis Marine Park – Australian marine park in the Temperate East Marine Parks network
Lord Howe Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of New South Wales, near Lord Howe Island, (2018), 110,126 km2 (42,520 sq mi),IUCN category IV
Norfolk Marine Park – Australian marine park offshore of Norfolk Island, (2018), 188,444 km2 (72,759 sq mi), IUCN category IV
South-east Network – Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government
Apollo Marine Park – Marine park in Australia in Bass Strait off the coast of Victoria, (2007), 2,928 km2 (1,131 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area in the Bass Strai off Victoria, (2007), 2,928 km2 (1,131 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Boags Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area in Bass Strait off north-west Tasmania, (2007), 537 km2 (207 sq mi), IUCN category VI
East Gippsland Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protexted area near the New South Wales-Victoria border, (2007), 4,137 km2 (1,597 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Flinders Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area off north-east Tasmania, (2007), 27,043 km2 (10,441 sq mi), IUCN category II
Freycinet Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area off the east coast of Tasmania., (2007), 57,942 km2 (22,372 sq mi) , IUCN category II
Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area south of Hobart, Tasmania, (2007), 9,991 km2 (3,858 sq mi) , IUCN category VI
Macquarie Island Marine Park – Australian Marine Park near Macquarie Island in the southwest Pacific, (1999), 162,000 km2 (63,000 sq mi), IUCN category IV
Murray Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area off the coast of South Australia, (2007), 25,803 km2 (9,963 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Nelson Commonwealth Marine Reserve – Australian marine protected area near the South Australia-Victoria border, (2007), 6,123 km2 (2,364 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Geographe Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Great Australian Bight Marine Park – Marine protected area in the Great Australian Bight off South Australia, (2012), 45,926 km2 (17,732 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Jurien Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Murat Marine Park – protected area in AustraliaPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback, (2012), 937.77 km2 (362.08 sq mi), IUCN category II
South-west Corner Marine Park – Marine protected area off Western Australia, (2013), 271,833 km2 (104,955 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park – Marine protected area south of Kangaroo Island in South Australia, (2012), 629.93 km2 (243.22 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Twilight Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Two Rocks Marine Park – Australian marine park in the South-west Marine Parks network
Western Eyre Marine Park – Marine protected area in the Great Australian Bight, off South Australia, (2012), 57,946 km2 (22,373 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park – Marine protected area south-west of Kangaroo Island in Australia, (2012), 2,335.31 km2 (901.67 sq mi), IUCN category VI
Marae Moana – Marine protected area in the Cook Islands, (2017), 1,981,965 km2 (765,241 sq mi),[7] IUCN Category VI.[25]
New Zealand
Poor Knights Islands – Group of islands and marine reserve off the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, 1981, 19.22 km2 (7.42 sq mi), IUCN Category Ia.[26]
Tawharanui – peninsula and wildlife refuge in New ZealandPages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback, 2011, 3.94 km2 (1.52 sq mi), IUCN Category Ia.[30]