What we do
State of Conservation reporting
We monitor and prepare evaluations on how countries protect their sites by conducting field visits and collecting scientific data.
Global network of site managers
We connect daily managers from the 51 flagship marine protected areas to share conservation solutions and accelerate successful results.
Climate change adaptation
We assess climate change impacts on marine World Heritage and invest in building resilience at the site level.
Join us and support our work
write us to explore a possible collaboration.
Where we work
Since the inscription of the first marine site on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981, our network has grown in to a global collection of unique ocean places stretching from the tropics to the poles. Today, the List includes 51 unique ocean places across 37 countries – recognized for their unique marine biodiversity, singular ecosystem, unique geological processes or incomparable beauty.
Marine World Heritage
Highlights
Results of the UNESCO environmental DNA (eDNA) Expeditions identified close to 4,500 marine species across 21 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites in 19 countries, with the participation of 250 citizen scientists in the eDNA sampling campaign.
The 1st regional meeting of UNESCO World Heritage marine sites in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in September 2024, united managers from the 12 sites in the region to promote dialogue on shared challenges at the regional level.
The World Heritage Marine Managers Network connects local managers and their teams digitally several times a year to share solutions around key conservation challenges.
The 5th World Heritage Marine Managers Conference In October 2023 brought together managers from the 50 marine World Heritage sites to discuss critical challenges and solutions in protecting ocean biodiversity.
Palau, Belize, New Caledonia and Australia step up climate resilience to secure long-term conservation for their World Heritage-listed coral reef ecosystems and the people who depend on them.
Biodiversity research across Marine World Heritage sites reveals that 35% of threatened marine species occur in UNESCO World Heritage marine sites, including 86% of sea turtle species and 60% of all whale-, dolphin and porpoise species
The UNESCO environmental DNA (eDNA) Expedition sampled 21 marine World Heritage sites across 17 nations to obtain a one-off snapshot of biodiversity richness across sites and the impact of climate change thereupon.
UNESCO signs partnership with Global Fund for Coral Reefs to step up investment for climate resilience in World Heritage-listed coral reefs in developing countries.
Ocean Science Roadmap for UNESCO Marine World Heritage calls to substantially increase science investment to protect marine World Heritage from climate impacts.
Global blue carbon assessment reveals that marine World Heritage sites host at least 21% of the world’s blue carbon ecosystem area, and 15% of the world’s blue carbon assets.
The COVID-19 pandemic had unprecedented effects for UNESCO marine World Heritage sites, with drastic reduction in tourism income for local communities
Resources
Ocean Science Roadmap for UNESCO Marine World Heritage
Partners
Images of the video in chronological order: ©Martial Dosdane - province sud; ©UNESCO/Daniel Correia; ©Brian Sullivan; ©Erick Higuera; ©Ministry of Trade, Sudan Government; ©Mary Bomford; B Navez Public Domain; ©Mary Bomford; Nikita Ovsayanikov/Wild Russia/Public Domain; ©James Watt/Seapics; ©UNESCO/Mark Kelley; ©FAICO; ©Brian Sullivan; ©UNESCO/Daniel Correia; ©Ministry of Trade, Sudan Government; ©UNESCO/Andreas Kruger; ©KfW Stiftung / Stefan Daub; ©UNESCO/Daniel Correia;© @mdf; ©UNESCO/Daniel Correia;
