Focus areas: South-East Asia and the Atlantic Basin

This project has two geographical focus areas: South-East Asia and the Atlantic Basin. In South-East Asia, site restoration activities will be focused in the Sulu-Sulawesi seascape. In the same region, the project will support the development of a seascape and migration conservation area in a transboundary zone.

South-East Asia contains some of the most extensive coastlines and diverse marine ecosystems in the world, but they are also the most threatened. A growth in the number of MPAs in the region shows a growing awareness to deal with threats such as coastal development, sedimentation and overexploitation that leads to the degradation of the coastal and marine resources. As countries in the region depend on fisheries and shared resources for their sustainable development, regional stability can be fostered through increased cooperation on marine and coastal ecosystems protection and restoration. Although MPAs are recognised as crucial to conserving biodiversity, only some are effectively managed and there is continued scope for restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems.

The second focus area is the Atlantic Basin. The project will bring together partners from Atlantic Rim countries to improve the management of marine protected areas in the Atlantic, as well as to share their experience with project partners in South East Asia. Partners include MPA managers, networks of managers, and institutions in Bermuda, Brazil, Cape Verde, France, the French Antilles, Gabon, Iceland, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and the United States of America.

There are more than 14,000 marine and coastal protected areas in the Atlantic Basin. The type of designation and management/governance, as well as the available information vary widely across countries and continents.