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Protect Spaces - All Types - Ocean Central

Overview Insights Act

Global marine protection has steadily expanded over the past two decades, with an increasing number of countries designating marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) to conserve biodiversity and support ocean health.

Yet with the global 30x30 target aiming to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, current progress must accelerate significantly, both in expanding coverage and improving protection in the coming years.

Reputable databases such as Protected Planet and the Marine Protection Atlas track the designation, extent, and effectiveness of these areas, offering critical insights into how marine protection is evolving globally and where gaps remain.

Key Stats

Marine Protection Progress
Map:

Since 2000, global ocean area under protection has increased by 9.1%, reaching 10.7% in 2025, but is still 19.3 percentage points below the 30% by 2030 goal.

Since 2000, global ocean area under protection has increased by 9.1%, reaching 10.7% in 2025, but is still 19.3 percentage points below the 30% by 2030 goal.

Protection Types

Of the global ocean area under protection, 97% is designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), while 2.4% is conserved through OECMs.

2030 Goal

Conserve 30% of Marine and Coastal Areas

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has set a target to conserve 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030. This chart illustrates the progress being made, highlighting the current status (8%) versus the goal (30%). The gap signals an opportunity to protect additional marine environments.

Source: Convention on Biological Diversity
MPAs Data Score
  • Data Frequency

    50+Years

  • Data Quality
    Sufficient – At least 2 data points available for trend analysis and at least one data point in the last 7 years
  • Geographic Range
    100% of global data available
  • Global Goal(s)
    2030 Goal – High Quality
OECMs Data Score
  • Data Frequency

    40+Years

  • Data Quality
    Sufficient – At least 2 data points available for trend analysis and at least one data point in the last 7 years
  • Geographic Range
    100% of global data available
  • Global Goal(s)
    2030 Goal – High Quality
Data Availability

There is still so much we do not know about our oceans. 

Join us in filling critical gaps in ocean data.

Marine protection goes beyond drawing boundaries — it’s about giving the ocean room to recover.

What began as isolated local efforts has evolved into a global movement combining legal frameworks, Indigenous stewardship, and science-based management.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are designated and regulated geographical zones created to protect marine ecosystems, specific habitats, and species from damage caused by human activities. In parallel, other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), such as community-managed reefs, fisheries closures, or marine refuges, safeguard biodiversity even when conservation is not their primary purpose.

Together, MPAs and OECMs create a mosaic of protection that reflects different governance systems and cultural approaches to ocean care. Tracking both helps reveal not just how much of the ocean is protected, but how well those protections are working.

This broader lens helps identify where conservation is succeeding, where gaps persist, and where investment and collaboration are most needed to drive faster progress toward global targets, such as the 30x30 target (30% of ocean area protected by 2030).

Where Marine Protection Stands Today

Marine protection has grown worldwide, but progress remains uneven. Some regions have built strong protection networks, while others are only beginning to establish them.

Understanding these patterns is key to tracking progress and identifying where further action is needed. Explore current protection levels regionally and worldwide.

EEZ Protection
Map:

Globally 22.82% of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) are currently under some form of marine protection.

Protection Levels
Map:

Globally, 2.92% of marine areas are considered fully or highly protected by MPAs

Protection Opportunities

By revealing where biodiversity is still unprotected, we can focus conservation where it matters most. Strengthening safeguards for coral reefs, mangroves, and deep-sea ecosystems not only supports marine life, but also boosts carbon storage, fisheries recovery, and coastal resilience. See which ecosystems remain underprotected and where new action could unlock the ocean’s greatest gains.

Protection By Ecosystem
Map:

Globally, 17.83% of marine ecosystems are under some form of marine protection.

Critical Marine Area Protection
Map:

Globally, 11.79% of the critical marine areas are protected by MPAs and OECMs.

Discover practical actions communities, businesses, policymakers, and individuals can take to strengthen marine protection and close the 30x30 gap.

Taking Action

  • Expand Coverage

    Designate new marine protected areas and OECMs, particularly in underrepresented ecosystems and regions, to move closer to the global target of 30% by 2030.

     

  • Improve Protection Quality

    Strengthen existing areas by increasing the level of protection, limiting harmful activities, and ensuring ecological representativeness.

     

  • Ensure Effective Management

    Invest in long-term management plans, staffing, and enforcement to make sure protected areas achieve real conservation outcomes.

     

  • Close the High Seas Gap

    Negotiate and implement protections in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which remain largely unprotected and vulnerable to exploitation. The ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treatise, which will enter into force in January 2026, will provide a boost to protect 30% of international waters.

     

  • Monitor and Report Progress

    Regularly update and share data on protected area coverage, effectiveness, and governance through platforms like Protected Planet and the Marine Protection Atlas.

     

  • Align Policy and Funding

    Mobilize national and international policy tools, climate finance, and nature-positive investment to support the expansion and durability of protections.

     

  • Integrate Into Spatial Planning

    Ensure protected areas are part of a broader marine spatial planning framework that balances conservation with sustainable use across seascapes.

     
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Case Studies 1

  • Southeast Asia

    Coral Triangle Initiative

    Launched in 2009, the Coral Triangle Initiative unites six nations— Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands — to protect one of Earth’s richest marine regions.

    Through shared governance and community-led stewardship, the initiative has established and strengthened a network of over 400 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and hundreds of locally managed OECMs as of 2023, designed to safeguard coral reefs, sustain coastal fisheries, and secure the livelihoods of millions who depend on these vibrant seas.

    Recognized as a global model for regional cooperation, the initiative demonstrates how coordinated action across national borders can enhance ecosystem resilience, restore fish stocks, and support millions of people who depend on healthy oceans.

    Key Actors: Regional governments, Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), WWF, USAID, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), The Nature Conservancy
    www.coraltriangleinitiative.org

Data Layers

No active data to display.
View relevant data layers on the globe using the available map toggle in the top right of each card in the left panel.
Note: Loading high-resolution datasets may take up to a minute.
Use the toggle buttons in the sidebar modules to display new active data layers on the globe.

Data Layers

No active data to display.
View relevant data layers on the globe using the available map toggle in the top right of each card in the left panel.
Note: Loading high-resolution datasets may take up to a minute.
Use the toggle buttons in the sidebar modules to display new active data layers on the globe.

Data Layers

No active data to display.
View relevant data layers on the globe using the available map toggle in the top right of each card in the left panel.
Note: Loading high-resolution datasets may take up to a minute.
Use the toggle buttons in the sidebar modules to display new active data layers on the globe.