Antarctica’s Southern Ocean

3,800,000 square kilometers across three proposed new marine protected areas

Lead Partner: Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC)

If successful it would constitute the largest act of conservation in history.

Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is one of the last great marine wilderness areas on earth. It is home to nearly 10,000 unique species. An area critical to maintaining the health of the global ocean, the waters surrounding Antarctica are governed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), a 26-member organization created by an international treaty.  

In 2009, CCAMLR committed to creating a system of marine protected areas (MPAs) and identified nine potential areas that, collectively, will protect breeding and feeding grounds for penguins, seals, and whales, as well as keystone species like Antarctic krill. Protecting this region and its unique biodiversity presents a significant conservation opportunity – it would move the world closer to achieving the goal of protecting 30% of the global ocean.

In collaboration with the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, the Blue Nature Alliance is engaging in the design and designation of three of the proposed areas totaling 3,800,000 square kilometers – the East Antarctic Marine Protected Area, the Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area, and the Antarctic Peninsula Marine Protected Area – by 2023. 

The Alliance has joined with the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition on scientific analyses and technical workshops to strengthen the protected area proposals. The partnership is also deploying a robust campaign to support the designation and management of the three proposed MPAs.