ABSTRACT
MARINE 1 Antarctic Biogeographic No division into biogeographic zones REGION zones
Countries and territories Antarctica, Balleny Island Archipelago (various country bases but no government); South Georgia Island and South Sandwich Islands (UK), Bouvet (Norway), Prince Edward Island and Marion Island (South Africa), Crozet Islands and Kerguelen Islands (France), Heard Island and McDonald Islands (Australia)
Key regional treaties and conventions CCAMLR – Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources; The Madrid Protocol (Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty)
MARINE 2 Arctic Biogeographic Five biogeographic zones: High Arctic Oceanic, REGION zones High Arctic Coastal, Arctic Coastal, Arctic
Maritime, Norwegian Coast
Countries and territories Canada (far north only), Faeroe Islands (Denmark), Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia (north only), Shetland Islands (UK), Svalbard (Norway)
Key regional treaties and conventions Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), OSPAR Convention
MARINE 3 Mediterranean Biogeographic Ten biogeographic zones: Alborán Sea, REGION zones Algerian Basin, Tyrrhenian Basin, Ionian Basin,
Levantine Basin, Aegean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Marmara Sea, Black Sea, Azov Sea
Countries and territories Mediterranean: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Gibraltar (UK), Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Yugoslavia; Black Sea: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
Key regional treaties and conventions ACCOBAMS, EU Habitats and Species Directive, SPA Protocol (Protocol for Special Protected Areas and Biological Diversity of the Barcelona Convention), Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP); Strategic Action Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea, Black Sea Environmental Programme
MARINE 4 Northwest Biogeographic Ten biogeographic zones: four Polar Zones: REGION Atlantic zones Viscount Melville Sound, Lancaster Sound,
Hudson Strait, Hudson-James Bay; three Subpolar Zones: North Slope/Beaufort Sea, Labrador Shelf, Gulf of St Lawrence; three Eastern Temperate Zones: Grand Banks/Scotian Shelf, Acadian, Virginian
Countries and territories US (northeast: North Carolina to New England, northern Alaska), Canada (east and most of north and Arctic), St Pierre and Miquelon (France), Bermuda (UK)
Key regional treaties and conventions Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization and Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (NAFO); no UNEP regional treaties but there are national programmes in the US, Canada and Bermuda (UK)
MARINE 5 Northeast Biogeographic Six biogeographic zones: Boreal Region, REGION Atlantic zones Boreal-Arctic, Boreal-Lusitanean, Lusitanean,
Lusitanean-Boreal, Azores-Madeira
Countries and territories Azores and Madeira (Portugal), Belgium, Denmark (west side), France (Atlantic side), Germany (west side), Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain (Atlantic side), UK
Key regional treaties and conventions Mainly OSPAR Convention and EU Habitats and Species Directive; some countries also participate in HELCOM (the Helsinki Convention), ASCOBANS and ACCOBAMS
MARINE 6 Baltic Biogeographic Nine biogeographic zones: Skagerrak, Kattegat, REGION zones Sound (Oresund) and Belt Sea, Baltic proper,
Gulf of Finland, Åland Sea and Archipelago Sea, Bothnian Sea, Bothnian Threshold, Bothnian Bay
Countries and territories Denmark (east side), Estonia, Finland, Germany (east side), Latvia, Lithuania, Norway (southeast side), Poland, Russia (Kaliningrad; Gulf of Finland), Sweden
Key regional treaties and conventions Mainly ASCOBANS and HELCOM (the Helsinki Convention); also EU Habitats and Species Directive and OSPAR Convention
MARINE 7 Wider Biogeographic Six biogeographic zones: Antillian, Continental, REGION Caribbean zones Northwest, Gulf, Bahamian, Guianan
Countries and territories Anguilla (UK), Antigua and Barbuda (UK), Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands (UK), Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe (France), Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique (France), México, Montserrat (UK), Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, St Maarten, St Eustatius and Saba) (Netherlands), Nicaragua, Panamá, Puerto Rico (US), St-Barthélemy (France), St Kitts and Nevis (UK), St Lucia, St-Martin (France), St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands (UK), Venezuela, Virgin Islands (UK), Virgin Islands (US), southeast US: the Gulf coast from Texas to Florida and north to North Carolina
Key regional treaties and conventions Cartagena Convention and SPAW Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife; Caribbean Environment Programme (CAR/RCU, UNEP)
MARINE 8 West Africa Biogeographic Five biogeographic zones: Western Tropical, REGION zones Western Intertropical, Western Subtropical
(North), Western Subtropical (South), Eastern Subtropical
Countries and territories Angola, Ascension (UK), Benin, Bouvet (Norway), Cameroon, Canary Islands (Spain), Cape Verdes (Portugal), Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, St Helena (UK), São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Tristan da Cunha (UK), Western Sahara (Morocco)
Key regional treaties and conventions Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Regions (UNEP regional programme for the West and Central African region includes all countries listed except Morocco, Namibia and South Africa); Morocco belongs to ACCOBAMS (see Marine Region 3)
Eastern Temperate, Other Oceanic Areas (Falkland/Malvinas Islands)
Countries and territories Argentina, Brazil, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (UK), Uruguay
Key regional treaties and conventions A UNEP regional seas programme is in its early stages
MARINE 10 Central Biogeographic Five biogeographic zones: Western Indian REGION Indian Ocean zones Ocean, Eastern Indian Ocean, Northern Bay of
Bengal, East Bay of Bengal, Central Indian Ocean
Countries and territories Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India), Bangladesh, British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Territory) (UK), India, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka
Key regional treaties and conventions A UNEP regional seas programme has been established – the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP); includes all the countries of the region plus Pakistan in Marine Region 11
MARINE 11 Arabian Seas Biogeographic 13 biogeographic zones: Gulf of Aden, Southern REGION zones Red Sea, Central Red Sea, Northern Red Sea,
Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Suez, Southern Oman, Indo-Pacific, Arabian Gulf Basin, Shatt al Arab, Southern Coastal Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Salwa, Qatar-UAE Coastal
Countries and territories Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Key regional treaties and conventions Two UNEP regional seas programmes for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), as well as for all Gulf countries under the Kuwait Action Plan (ROPME)
MARINE 12 East Africa Biogeographic Five biogeographic zones: Red Sea-Indian REGION zones Ocean Interface, Northern Area, Central Area,
Southern Area, Oceanic Islands (Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros)
Countries and territories Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte (France), Mozambique, La Réunion (France), Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania
Key regional treaties and conventions MCEA – Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region, Protocol Concerning Protected Areas and Wild Fauna and Flora in the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention); Somalia belongs to PERSGA (see Marine Region 11)
MARINE 13 East Asian Biogeographic 22 second-order biogeographic zones: North REGION Seas zones Vietnam, South Vietnam, East Coast – Gulf of
Thailand, Inner Gulf of Thailand, West Coast – Gulf of Thailand, Northeast Coast – Peninsula Malaysia, Southeast Coast – Peninsula Malaysia, West Coast – Eastern Malaysia, Jawa Sea, Makassar Sea, Flores Sea (west), Flores Sea (east), Banda Sea, Arafura Sea, Malaku Sea, Sulawesi Sea, Sulu Sea, East Coast,
Eastern Malaysia, Indian Ocean, Straits of Molucca, Andaman Sea – Inner Coast, West Coast – Peninsula Malaysia
Countries and territories Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands (disputed), Thailand, Vietnam
Key regional treaties and conventions East Asian Seas Action Plan (UNEP regional seas programme) applies to all but Brunei and also includes several nations outside the region (Australia, China and RO Korea)
MARINE 14 South Pacific Biogeographic 20 biogeographic zones: Southern Papua New REGION zones Guinea, Northern Papua New Guinea, Solomon
Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa, Tuvalu, Nauru, Guam-Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Western French Polynesia, Eastern French Polynesia, Northern French Polynesia, Pitcairn, Hawaii Archipelago (including Midway and Johnston Atoll)
Countries and territories American Samoa (US), Cook Islands (New Zealand), Easter Island (Chile), Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia (France), Fiji, Guam (US), Hawaii (US), Johnston Atoll (US), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia (France), Niue, Northern Mariana Islands (US), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (including Midway) (US), Palau, Palmyra Atoll (US), Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands (UK), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau (New Zealand), Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wake Island (US), Wallis and Futuna (France)
Key regional treaties and conventions Apia Convention, SPREP Convention includes all the countries of the region plus Australia and New Zealand
MARINE 15 Northeast Biogeographic Nine biogeographic zones: three subpolar REGION Pacific zones zones: Beringian, Aleutian, West Coast Fjords;
one temperate zone: Oregonian; three subtropical zones: Montereyan, San Diegan, Cortezian; two tropical zones: Mexican, Panamanian
Countries and territories US (West Coast and Alaska south of the Bering Strait), Canada (West Coast), México (West Coast)
Key regional treaties and conventions No UNEP regional treaty but various academic and regional links provide some basis for cooperation on MPAs and other cetacean issues
MARINE 16 Northwest Biogeographic Eight biogeographic zones: Tropical, REGION Pacific zones Subtropical, Warm Temperate: Closed Sea,
Warm Temperate: Open Sea, Cold Temperate: Closed Sea, Cold Temperate: Open Sea, Subarctic and Arctic
Key regional treaties and conventions NOWPAP – UNEP regional seas programme for the Northwest Pacific; RO Korea and China are also involved with the UNEP regional seas programme for East Asian Seas and the East Asian Seas Action Plan
MARINE 17 Southeast Biogeographic Six biogeographic zones in the coastal realm: REGION Pacific zones Western Tropical, Western Intertropical, Western
Subtropical, Western Temperate, Subpolar, Subpolar Archipelagic, plus three oceanic areas: Galápagos Archipelago, Cocos Island and Juan Fernández Archipelago
Countries and territories Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (including Cocos Island), Panamá, Colombia, Ecuador (including the Galápagos archipelago), Perú, Chile (including Juan Fernández Archipelago)
Key regional treaties and conventions Countries in central America (plus México) are signatories to the UNEP Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northeast Pacific (Antigua Convention); UNEP’s Southeast Pacific Region (CPPS) includes all the countries of western South America plus Panamá and they have agreed to the Action Plan for Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas of the Southeast Pacific (1981) and Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Mammals in the Southeast Pacific (PNUMA 1992)
MARINE 18 Australia-Biogeographic 40 biogeographic zones. In Australia, there are REGION New Zealand zones 14 coastal zones: North Coast, Northwest
Coast, Central West Coast, Lower West Coast, Southwest Coast, Great Australian Bight, South Gulf Coast, Bass Strait, Tasmanian Coast, Lower East Coast, Central East Coast, Northeast Coast, Great Barrier Reef, Gulf of Carpentaria; five oceanic zones: Northwest Oceanic, West Oceanic, South Oceanic, Southeast Oceanic and Northeast Oceanic; four ocean zones: Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, Tasman Sea and Coral Sea. There are also nine External Territories Zones: Christmas Island, Cocos-Keeling, Ashmore-Cartier, Coral Sea Islands, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Macquarie Island, Antarctic Territory and Heard and Macdonald Island. New Zealand has eight marine biogeographic zones: Kermadec Island, Three Kings Island/North Cape, Northeastern, Central, Chatham Island, Southern, Snares Island, Subantarctic (Auckland Island, Campbell Island, Antipodes Island and Bounty Island)
Countries and territories Australia (including Christmas, Cocos-Keeling, Macquarie and Norfolk islands) and New Zealand (including Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes and Bounty islands)
Key regional treaties and conventions Australia and New Zealand are part of the UNEP regional seas programme for the South Pacific – SPREP; Australia is also involved with the UNEP regional seas programme for East Asian Seas with the East Asian Seas Action Plan (UNEP regional seas programme)
The roman numerals, letters and numbers correspond to the sanctuaries and MPAs listed and described in Table 5.2.
