WDPA-Marine is dedicated to provide the most comprehensive set of marine protected areas (MPAs) data available.
With less than one percent of the oceans under legal protection, it is essential to maintain a dataset that focuses on MPAs and representation of the diverse species and habitats found in the marine environment.
see also :
- locations of MPAs with Google Earth kml file (courtesy of IUCN)
- Protect Planet Ocean : 1% is not enough!
- petition to create the world's largest MPA around the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean
April 1, 2010
ReplyDeleteWashington, DC — Today, the Pew Environment Group commended U.K. Foreign Minister David Miliband for designating the Chagos Islands, a group of 55 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, as the world’s largest marine reserve. The islands and their surrounding waters cover 210,000 square miles (544,000 square kilometers), an area larger than California and more than 60 times the size of Yellowstone National Park.
As a fully protected marine reserve, the rich diversity of marine life found in the Chagos will now be safeguarded from extractive activities, such as industrial fishing.
More on : Global Ocean Legacy