Costa Rica — Cocos Island National Park and Seamounts Marine Management Area

Lead Partner: Friends of Cocos Island (FAICO) & Conservation International - Costa Rica

Over 300 marine species are registered in the CINP and SMMA, including 270 fish species, four turtle species, and 14 shark species.

The Cocos Island National Park, located 535 kilometers off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, was first designated in 1978. CINP is, currently, a no-take marine reserve with a total area of 2,095 square kilometers, surrounded by a Seamount Marine Management Area, which functions as a buffer zone and adds 9,600 square kilometers to the area.  

The area encompassed by the Cocos Island National Park and its surrounding Seamount Marine Management Area constitute the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Costa Rica and is celebrated for its biological importance—protecting a diverse marine ecosystem with high endemism, providing vital habitat for pelagic species, and featuring some of the most diverse coral reefs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. The Cocos Island National Park serves as a feeding and breeding hotspot for many large migratory species, such as the endangered scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), the near-threatened silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), and the Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis).   

Since its 1978 designation, the park has earned a range of international accolades and awards, including declarations as a World Heritage Site of Humanity by UNESCO (1997), a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention (1998), an Architectural Historical Heritage of Costa Rica (2002), and a “Blue Park” for being a Global Ocean Refuge according to the Marine Conservation Institute (2019). In response to these recognitions, there has long been an interest in expanding the size and protection of this extraordinary area. This goal is now coming to fruition.  

As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which includes governments around the world committed to protecting at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030, Costa Rica has been clear about its intention to help reach this goal: 

“With the ambition to protect 30% of our ocean, we have started the process to expand the protection of the Cocos Island, a unique ecosystem and breeding area for key species. This will be a legacy of our bicentennial. Costa Rica will continue to lead based on the example, which is a source of national pride.”  — President Carlos Alvarado, on May 4, 2021. 

Friends of the Cocos Island (FAICO) and Conservation International - Costa Rica in coordination with other national and international organizations have partnered with the Blue Nature Alliance to support efforts to expand the Cocos Island National Park and Seamount Marine Management Area by 2022 through a scope of work to reinforce the consultation process and develop and implement a roadmap for sustainable financing. Contingent on the successful outcome of the expansion process, the Blue Nature Alliance has committed to providing resources to support the effective implementation of the expanded area after designation.    

The Blue Nature Alliance is committed to supporting local partners, the government, and the community to considerably advance the national 30% commitment. This support will promote durable new or upgraded protections and effective management to safeguard Costa Rica’s extraordinary marine biodiversity and build climate resilience.