Ocean protection progress falls short: marine protected areas reach 9.6% coverage but trail far behind 2030 goals

The world’s oceans gained significant new protections in 2025, but marine conservation efforts remain dramatically behind schedule to meet international climate targets. According to the World Database on Protected Areas, marine protected areas (MPAs) now cover 9.6% of global oceans—a notable 1.2% increase from 2024’s 8.4% coverage. However, this progress leaves nations far from their ambitious 2030 commitment to protect 30% of Earth’s lands and waters, agreed upon by nearly 200 countries in December 2022.

The 16,608 marine protected areas worldwide now encompass nearly 35 million square kilometers—an ocean area more than twice the size of Russia. Yet conservation experts warn that impressive numbers can be misleading. The Marine Conservation Institute’s MPAtlas reveals that only 3.2% of these protected areas qualify as highly or fully protected, raising serious concerns about “paper parks” that permit destructive activities like bottom trawling while claiming conservation status.

Several breakthrough conservation announcements highlighted 2025’s progress. French Polynesia made international headlines by announcing the world’s largest marine protected area, safeguarding its entire 4.8 million square kilometer exclusive economic zone. More than 1 million square kilometers will receive the highest protection levels, banning extractive fishing and mining entirely. Meanwhile, the Philippines established the Panaon Island Protected Seascape, protecting 612 square kilometers of critical coral habitat.

While these victories represent meaningful steps forward, the current pace suggests nations must dramatically accelerate marine protection efforts to achieve their 2030 biodiversity goals and address the mounting threats facing ocean ecosystems worldwide.