List of marine protected areas

A marine protected area (MPA) is a protected area that includes primarily marine environment and biodiversity.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a protected area as: "'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.'" 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.

As of June 2019 there are 14,830 marine protected areas with a total area of 27,495,595 sqkm representing 7.59% of the ocean.

Mozambique

 * , 1971, 1600 sqkm

South Africa
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.
 * , (2019), 1,200 sqkm
 * , (2019), 4,300 sqkm
 * , (2019), 6,200 sqkm
 * , (2019), 207 sqkm
 * , (2004), 670 sqkm
 * , (2019), integrated with Aliwal Shoal MPA
 * , (2019), 400 sqkm
 * , (2019), 72 sqkm
 * , (2000), 20.14 km2
 * , (2004),
 * , (2019), 399 km2
 * , (2019), 580 km2
 * Castle Rock Marine Protected Area, previously known as the Millers Point Marine Reserve, now part of Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area (2000)
 * , (2019), 1335 sqkm
 * , (2000), 288.9 sqkm
 * , (2000), 199 sqkm
 * , (2000), 32 sqkm
 * , (2000), 24.6 sqkm
 * , (2000), 40.86 sqkm
 * (KwaZulu-Natal) 443 sqkm
 * , (2019), 10,700 sqkm
 * , (2000), 1.11 sqkm
 * , (2000), 280 sqkm
 * , (2000), 0.66 sqkm
 * , (2000), 384.54 sqkm
 * , (Western Cape) 0.26 sqkm
 * , (2019), 1200 sqkm
 * , (2019), 500 sqkm
 * , (2019), 2000 sqkm
 * , (2004), 1380 sqkm
 * , (2019), 270 sqkm
 * , (2013), 181229.46 sqkm
 * , (2019), 1200 sqkm
 * , (2019), 580 sqkm
 * , (2000), 42 sqkm
 * , (2000), 12.91 sqkm
 * , (2000), 106.91 sqkm
 * , (2019), 6000 sqkm
 * , (2019), 7500 sqkm
 * , (2008), 20 sqkm
 * , (2004), 953.25 sqkm
 * , (2000), .29 sqkm
 * , (2000), 186 sqkm
 * , (2019), 5666 sqkm
 * , (2001, seasonal), 112.49 sqkm

Antarctica

 * Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area, 2,060,058 sqkm

Thailand

 * , 1981, 400 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1981, 230.86 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1983, 37.9 sqkm, IUCN Category II.
 * , 1981, 131 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1966, 98.08 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1983, 315 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1980, 102 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1982, 650 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1990, 134 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1984, 494.38 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1982, 114 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1981, 141.25 sqkm. IUCN Category II.
 * , 1976, 1490 sqkm. IUCN Category II.

Australia

 * , (2012), 995,251 sqkm
 * , 71,200 sqkm
 * , (2018), 23,771 sqkm,IUCN category VI
 * , (2018), 71,743 sqkm ,IUCN category VI
 * , 16,012 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2018), 146,003 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (1983), 146,003 sqkm, IUCN category Ia.
 * (2000) 172 sqkm, IUCN category Ia
 * , (2018), 1,252 sqm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2018), 81,766 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2018), 74,469 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (1991), 540 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (1987), 2,435 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2018), 70,054 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2007), 4 sqkm, UCN category II
 * , (2018), 110,126 sqkm,IUCN category IV
 * , (2018), 188,444 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2007), 2,928 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 2,928 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 537 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 4,137 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 27,043 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2007), 671 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 57,942 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2007), 9,991 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (1999), 162,000 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2007), 25,803 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 6,123 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 27,704 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 42,502 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 19,897 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2013), 4,472 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 45,926 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 937.77 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2013), 271,833 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 629.93 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 57,946 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 2,335.31 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 537 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 4,137 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 27,043 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2007), 671 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 57,942 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2007), 9,991 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (1999), 162,000 sqkm, IUCN category IV
 * , (2007), 25,803 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 6,123 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 27,704 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 42,502 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2007), 19,897 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2013), 4,472 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 45,926 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 937.77 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2013), 271,833 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 629.93 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 57,946 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 2,335.31 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 937.77 sqkm, IUCN category II
 * , (2013), 271,833 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 629.93 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 57,946 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 2,335.31 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 57,946 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 2,335.31 sqkm, IUCN category VI
 * , (2012), 2,335.31 sqkm, IUCN category VI

Finland

 * Metsäkuohu, (2018), 0.08 sqkm
 * Tervapesä, (2018), 0.07 sqkm

Sweden

 * Småbodarna, (2018), 0.11 sqkm
 * Långstrandberget, (2018), 0.74 sqkm
 * Björkbergsbacken, (2018), 0.14 sqkm
 * Höksberget, (2018), 0.56 sqkm

United Kingdom
UK Overseas Territories
 * Port Erin Bay MNR, Isle of Man, (2018), 4.34 sqkm
 * Ascension Island, South Atlantic
 * Pitcairn Islands, South Pacific Ocean
 * St Helena, South Atlantic
 * South Orkneys, British Antarctic Territory
 * South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, Southern Atlantic
 * Tristan da Cunha, Southern Atlantic

United States

 * List of U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries
 * List of marine protected areas of California
 * , (2010), .38 sqmi
 * , (2002), 866,717 sqkm
 * , (2009), 1277860.0 sqkm, IUCN Category V

Cook Islands

 * , (2017), 1,981,965 sqkm, IUCN Category VI.

New Zealand

 * , 1981, 19.22 sqkm, IUCN Category Ia.
 * , 1975, 5.56 sqkm, IUCN Category Ia.
 * , 2014, 1046.33 sqkm, IUCN Category Ia.
 * , 2014, 2173.1 sqkm, IUCN Category Ia.
 * , 2011, 3.94 sqkm, IUCN Category Ia.
 * , 1992, 10.55 sqkm, IUCN Category Ia.

Chile

 * Islas Diego Ramírez y Paso Drake, (2019), 1,443.91 sqkm
 * Humedales Costeros de la Bahía Tongoy, (2018), 2.59 sqkm

Ecuador

 * , 1998, 126972.09 sqkm

Grenada

 * Grande Anse, (2018), 17.83 sqkm

Areas beyond national jurisdiction

 * , 2012, 178651.0 sqkm
 * , 2010, 93572.46 sqkm

To be integrated

 * Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres australes françaises, (2017) 1,654,999 sqkm
 * , (2006), 1,516,557 sqkm
 * Parc Naturel de la Mer de Corail, (2014), 1,291,643 sqkm
 * Pacific Remote Islands, (2009) 1,277,784 sqkm
 * South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area, (2012), 1,069,872 sqkm
 * Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve, (2016), 839,568 sqkm