Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface area and are the major storehouses for heat from the sun, various kinds of minerals and living organisms, and food resources. According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the world’s oceans are highly threatened due to pollution, eutrophication, overfishing, and climate change.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are “any area of intertidal or sub-tidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment” (International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)).

There are large number of MPAs in North-East Asia, with varying sizes and ecological characteristics as well as the way they are managed. Most of them having been designed only within the last decade or two. Considering the transboundary character of marine ecosystems, NEAMPAN was established to improve the management of various MPAs in the subregion by sharing experiences and networking of MPA managers.

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Source: United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and international agreement