Several major marine protected areas (MPAs) are coming into effect around the world in 2026, marking significant progress toward international targets for ocean protection. New or expanding reserves in French Polynesia, Chile, Greece and New Zealand together represent millions of square kilometres of ocean receiving stronger conservation status.

The project, led by The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP), will transform a protected cove into a habitat roughly 100 times larger than the tanks at Marineland in Niagara Falls, where many belugas have spent years in captivity. In this environment, the whales will be able to swim freely and experience natural ocean features, such as tides, currents and seasonal changes. Although they will still receive human care and monitoring due to their long confinement, the whales will live in a space that resembles a wild, natural habitat.

Large Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been shown to be far more effective than smaller ones in conserving biodiversity and ecosystems. New research from the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean shows that size matters: large reserves can fully encompass the movements of wide-ranging species and secure critical feeding and breeding grounds.

Greece has announced plans to create two expansive national marine parks—one in the Aegean Sea and another in the Ionian Sea—signalling a significant step forward in its environmental protection strategy. The move is part of the country's efforts to meet international biodiversity targets by 2030 and will expand Greece’s marine protected areas from 22% to 30% of its territorial waters.

This move strengthens Tanzania’s contribution to the global “30x30” target—protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030—and demonstrates the country’s commitment to science-based and community-driven conservation. The new MPAs include:

• 70 km² of climate-resilient coral reefs, critical for biodiversity;

• 26 km² of seagrass beds supporting fisheries and carbon storage;

• 34 km² of mangrove forest, vital for shoreline protection;

• Habitat for threatened sharks and rays.

According to Kirah Forman-Castillo, the national coordinator of MarAlliance’s Belize programme, fishers have reported seeing more sharks than ever in the waters of Belize, including in areas where they were previously rare.

The marine reserve is located in the Atlantic Ocean at the southwestern tip of the island of El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands. The area is known for its exceptional marine biodiversity, including sharks, dolphins, tuna, rays and turtles. The waters are calm because they are sheltered from the trade winds, and its tropical nature is home to species not found in the rest of the archipelago. The almost complete kelp cover and the diversity of the seabed support a high level of biodiversity. The area is also an essential habitat for beaked whales.

The study, spanning 66 marine reserves across 37 countries worldwide, sheds light on the stark contrast in shark abundance between fully protected zones and areas open to industrial fishing. Reef-dwelling species such as Caribbean reef, grey reef, whitetip reef, and nurse sharks exhibited nearly double the population density within fully protected marine reserves compared to fishing-permitted zones.