The places where ocean life concentrates
8 region briefings covering marine protected areas, migration corridors and biodiversity hotspots — each with cited ecology, threats and protection status.
Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean
The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost reach of the Antarctic continent, extending toward South America and bordered by some of the most biologically productive waters in the Southern Ocean. It is also one of the fa
Azores, Portugal
The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago in the central North Atlantic, sitting atop the Mid Atlantic Ridge. The volcanic islands rise from a seafloor studded with seamounts, and the deep water close to shore makes the ar
Galápagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador
The Galápagos Marine Reserve is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, surrounding the Galápagos Islands roughly 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador. The reserve was created by Ecuador in 1998 and covers o
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia, is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park stretches about 2,300 km along the coast and covers approxima
Monterey Bay Marine Briefing
Monterey Bay is one of the most ecologically diverse marine regions in the world. Dominated by the massive underwater Monterey Canyon, which rivals the Grand Canyon in depth and scale, the bay brings cold, nutrient rich
Ningaloo Coast, Western Australia
The Ningaloo Coast, on the remote western coast of Australia near Exmouth, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 as a 604,500 hectare marine and terrestrial property. It includes Ningaloo Marine Park (e
Salish Sea, Washington & British Columbia
The Salish Sea is a transboundary inland sea shared by the United States and Canada. The SeaDoc Society defines it as the connected marine waters that include Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and the waters off Vancouv
Wadden Sea (Netherlands · Germany · Denmark)
The Wadden Sea stretches along the southeastern North Sea coast across the Netherlands, Germany (Lower Saxony and Schleswig Holstein National Parks), and Denmark. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage property in 2