World Heritage
Marine Programme
4 focus areas

Safeguarding

Network

Training

Exploring
Ensuring conservation
of World Heritage marine sites
We provide essential support – based on scientific data and analysis – to the World Heritage Committee and national governments, so they can monitor and evaluate the state of conservation in World Heritage marine sites.
The Committee uses our annual State of Conservation Reports as the basis for its decisions. Governments use our reports to guide their conservation work on the ground. Government agencies, communities, NGOs and businesses that are working on conservation in the sites use this data and the Committee’s decisions to advance their work.
UNESCO's
Marine World Heritage
World Heritage
papers #45
The Future of the World Heritage Convention for Marine Conservation
Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Coral Reefs
© The Ocean Agency, XL Catlin Seaview Survey, Christophe Bailhache
Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Coral Reefs
A First Global Scientific Assessment
Nearly half of all World Heritage properties containing coral reefs experienced bleaching stress more than twice per decade during 1985-2013. Over 70% has been exposed to severe heat stress during the past three years with coral mortality likely to be the worse in history. This assessment predicts that all properties will experience annual severe bleaching and thus cease to host functioning coral reef systems, by the end of the century unless CO2 emissions are reduce.Building a global network of site managers
We provide networking, capacity building and cross-site learning opportunities through the World Heritage Marine Site Managers Network so that our site managers can continuously improve their management practice.
Site managers meet in person at our global conferences every three years, and share best practices and other resources on our dedicated site managers network website. Sites with biodiversity connectivity have made formal linkages through the network to safeguard migratory species recognized as of global importance to humanity.
Best Practice Guide
Our Best Practice Guide for site managers shares the marine spatial planning methodology and provides examples of its application in World Heritage marine sites
English | French | Spanish | Indonesian
Exploring the World Heritage
Convention for High Seas conservation
We are actively exploring how the world’s most visible and nearly universally ratified Convention might be applied to the high seas.
Image courtesy of the NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.
World Heritage in the High Seas:
An Idea Whose Time Has Come

The Report Appendices
French version available here
Exploring the
World Heritage Convention
for High Seas conservation
Launching report
at the edge of
the Sargasso Sea
In partnership with
Main partners to the
World Heritage
Marine Programme
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World Heritage Sites (49)
- Aldabra Atoll
- Archipiélago de Revillagigedo
- Area de Conservación Guanacaste
- Banc d'Arguin National Park
- Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
- Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves
- Cocos Island National Park
- Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection
- East Rennell
- Everglades National Park
- Galápagos Islands
- Gough and Inaccessible Islands
- Great Barrier Reef
- Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve
- Ha Long Bay
- Heard and McDonald Islands
- High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago
- Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California
- Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek
- Komodo National Park
- Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems
- Lord Howe Island Group
- Macquarie Island
- Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary
- Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
- New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
- Ningaloo Coast
- Ogasawara Islands
- Papahānaumokuākea
- Península Valdés
- Phoenix Islands Protected Area
- Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
- Rock Islands Southern Lagoon
- Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park
- Shark Bay, Western Australia
- Shiretoko
- Sian Ka'an
- Socotra Archipelago
- St Kilda
- Sundarbans National Park
- Surtsey
- The Sundarbans
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Ujung Kulon National Park
- Wadden Sea
- West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord
- Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino