Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

ROSS SEA REGION

The world’s largest MPA borders Antarctica, spanning 618,000sq miles. It administers ‘no-take’ and sustainable fishing zones and is home to 30% of the world’s Adélie penguins and a third of its Antarctic petrels. mfat.govt.nz

PITCAIRN ISLANDS

Covering a colossal 322,000sq miles, the Pitcairn Islands MPA extends south east from the Pitcairn Islands. The 47 inhabitants of the only inhabited island, Pitcairn, are descendants of the mutinous HMS Bounty crew. Commercial activities are forbidden in its waters, home to sharks and cetaceans. visitpitcairn.pn

ASCENSION ISLAND

Right out in the midAtlantic, this MPA surrounds the giant undersea volcano of Ascension Island, a 172,000sq-mile home for marlin and significant green turtle populations. ascension.gov.ac

SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS

Spanning 479,000sq miles of sub-Antarctic waters, this MPA supports blue whales and penguins; fishing is outlawed in a quarter of its waters. gov.gs

PAPAHĀNAUMOKUĀKEA

Home to coral atolls that protect endemics including Hawaiian monk seals, this 579,000sq-mile reserve in the North Pacific also hosts key native cultural sites. papahanaumokuakea.gov