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| Last Updated:: 25/07/2024

Marine Protected Areas

(Photo: Anant Pande, Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal)

Marine Protected Area

 

A marine protected area (MPA) is essentially a space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters - similar to parks we have on land. These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local, state, territorial, native, regional, or national authorities.      

    

 

 

List of Marine Protected Areas in Peninsular India

S. No.

State

Name of Protected Area

Notification Year

Area (in km2)

1

Tamil Nadu

Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay

2022

448.34

2

Tamil Nadu

Gulf of Mannar Marine Park (21 Islands)
Reserve Land - 623.12 Ha +
Sea area - 51978.88 Ha

1986

526.02

3

Tamil Nadu

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary
"Block -A'and "Block -B"

2013

124.07

4

Tamil Nadu

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary

1967

17.29

5

Tamil Nadu

Pulicat Lake Birds Sanctuary

1980

153.67

6

Andhra Pradesh

Coringa

1978

235.7

7

Andhra Pradesh

Krishna

1989

194.81

8

Andhra Pradesh

Pulicat Lake

1980

600

9

Daman & Diu

Fudam

1991

2.18

10

Goa

Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (Chorao Island)

1988

1.78

11

Gujarat

Marine (Gulf of Kachchh)

1995

162.89

12

Gujarat

Marine (Gulf of Kachchh)

1980

295.03

13

Gujarat

Khijadia

1981

6.05

14

Kerala

Kadalundi Vallikkunnu

2007

1.5

15

Maharashtra

Malvan Marine

1987

29.12

16

Maharashtra

Thane Creek Flamingo

2015

16.905

17

Odisha

Bhitarkanika

1998

145

18

Odisha

Bhitarkanika

1975

525

19

Odisha

Chilka (Nalaban)

1987

15.53

20

Odisha

Gahirmatha

1997

1435

21

Odisha

Balukhand Konark

1984

71.72

22

West Bengal

Sundarbans

1984

1330.1

23

West Bengal

West Sundarbans

2013

556.45

24

West Bengal

Haliday Island

1976

5.95

25

West Bengal

Sajnakhali

1976

362.4

26

West Bengal

Lothian Island

1976

38

Total Marine Protected Areas in Peninsular India

7,300.51

 

List of Marine Protected Areas in Islands of India (as on July 2024)

 

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

S. No.

Name of Protected Area

Area
(in km2)

Notification Year

1

Arial Island Sanctuary

0.05

1987

2

Bamboo Island Sanctuary

0.05

1987

3

Barren Island Sanctuary

8.10

1997

4

Battimalve Island Sanctuary

2.23

1985

5

Belle Island Sanctuary

0.08

1987

6

Benette Island Sanctuary

3.46

1987

7

Bingham Island Sanctuary

0.08

1987

8

Blister Island Sanctuary

0.26

1987

9

Bluff Island Sanctuary

1.14

1987

10

Bondoville Island Sanctuary

2.55

1987

11

Brush Island Sanctuary

0.23

1987

12

Buchanan Island Sanctuary

9.33

1987

13

Campbell Bay National Park

426.23

1996

14

Channel Island Sanctuary

0.13

1987

15

Cinque Island Sanctuary

9.51

1987

16

Clyde Island Sanctuary

0.54

1987

17

Cone Island Sanctuary

0.65

1987

18

Coral Sanctuary

2.73

2022

19

Curlew (B.P.) Island Sanctuary

0.16

1987

20

Curlew Island Sanctuary

0.03

1987

21

Cuthbert Bay Sanctuary

5.82

1997

22

Defence Island Sanctuary

10.49

1987

23

Dot Island Sanctuary

0.18

1987

24

Dottrell Island Sanctuary

0.13

1987

25

Duncan Island Sanctuary

0.73

1987

26

East Island Sanctuary

6.11

1987

27

Egg Island Sanctuary

0.05

1987

28

Entrance Island Sanctuary

0.96

1987

29

Flat Island Sanctuary

9.36

1987

30

Galathea National Park

110.00

1996

31

Gander Island Sanctuary

0.05

1987

32

Goose Island Sanctuary

0.01

1987

33

Gurjan Island Sanctuary

0.16

1987

34

Hump Island Sanctuary

0.47

1987

35

Interview Island Sanctuary

133.00

1997

36

James Island Sanctuary

2.10

1987

37

Jungle Island Sanctuary

0.52

1987

38

Kwangtung Island Sanctuary

0.57

1987

39

Kyd Island Sanctuary

8.00

1987

40

Landfall Island Sanctuary

29.48

1987

41

Latouche Island Sanctuary

0.06

1987

42

Leatherback Turtle Sanctuary

13.75

2022

43

Lohabarrack Wildlife Sanctuary

44.34

2022

44

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park

281.50

1999

45

Mangrove Island Sanctuary

0.39

1987

46

Manipur Parvat (Mount Harriet) National Park

46.62

1996

47

Mask Island Sanctuary

0.78

1987

48

Mayo Island Sanctuary

0.10

1987

49

Megapode Sanctuary

1.29

2022

50

Montogomery Island Sanctuary

0.21

1987

51

Narcondum Island Sanctuary

6.81

1997

52

North Brother Island Sanctuary

0.75

1987

53

North Island Sanctuary

0.49

1987

54

North Reef Island Sanctuary

3.48

1997

55

Oliver Island Sanctuary

0.16

1987

56

Orchid Island Sanctuary

0.10

1987

57

Ox Island Sanctuary

0.13

1987

58

Oyster Island-I Sanctuary

0.08

1987

59

Oyster Island-II Sanctuary

0.21

1987

60

Paget Island Sanctuary

7.36

1987

61

Parkinson Island Sanctuary

0.34

1987

62

Passage Island Sanctuary

0.62

1987

63

Peacock Island Sanctuary

0.62

1987

64

Petric Island Sanctuary

0.13

1987

65

Pitman Island Sanctuary

1.37

1987

66

Point Island Sanctuary

3.07

1987

67

Potanma Island Sanctuary

0.16

1987

68

Ranger Island Sanctuary

4.26

1987

69

Rani Jhansi Marine National Park*

320.06

2017

70

Reef Island Sanctuary

1.74

1987

71

Roper Island Sanctuary

1.46

1987

72

Ross Island Sanctuary

1.01

1987

73

Rowe Island Sanctuary

0.01

1987

74

Saddle Peak National Park

32.54

1996

75

Sandy Island Sanctuary

1.58

1987

76

Sea Serpent Island Sanctuary

0.78

1987

77

Shark Island Sanctuary

0.60

1987

78

Shearme Island Sanctuary

7.85

1987

79

Sir Hugh Ross Island Sanctuary

1.06

1987

80

Sister Island Sanctuary

0.36

1987

81

Snake Island-I Sanctuary

0.73

1987

82

Snake Island-II Sanctuary

0.03

1987

83

South Brother Island

1.24

1987

84

South Reef Sanctuary

1.17

1987

85

South Sentinel Island Sanctuary

1.61

1997

86

Spike Island-I Sanctuary

0.42

1987

87

Spike Island-II Sanctuary

11.70

1987

88

Stoat Island Sanctuary

0.44

1987

89

Surat Island Sanctuary

0.31

1987

90

Swamp Island Sanctuary

4.09

1987

91

Table (Delgarno) Island Sanctuary

2.29

1987

92

Table (Excelsior) Island Sanctuary

1.69

1987

93

Talabaicha Island Sanctuary

3.21

1987

94

Temple Island Sanctuary

1.04

1987

95

Tillongchang Island Sanctuary

16.83

1985

96

Tree Island Sanctuary

0.03

1987

97

Trilby Island Sanctuary

0.96

1987

98

Tuft Island Sanctuary

0.29

1987

99

Turtle Island Sanctuary

0.39

1987

100

West Island Sanctuary

6.40

1987

101

Wharf Island Sanctuary

0.11

1987

102

White Cliff Island Sanctuary

0.47

1987

 

Lakshadweep Islands

S. No.

Name of Protected Area

Area
(in km2)

Notification Year

103

Pitti Sanctuary

40

2019

104

A. Attakoya Thangal Marine Conservation Reseve

344

2020

105

Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reseve

239

2020

106

P.M. Sayeed Marine Birds Conservation Reseve

62

2019

 

Total Area

2,314.41 Km2

 

* Button Islands National Parks (North Button Island, Middle Button Island & South

Button Island) of Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been merged with Rani Jhansi Marine National

Park.

   Source: MoEFCC and State Forest Departments. 

 

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 Manual on

Status of Marine and Coastal environments and developing a Marine Protected Area Network in India

(download pdf version)

Citation: Saravanan, K. R., K. Sivakumar and B.C. Choudhury, 2011. Status of Marine and Coastal environments and developing a Marine Protected Area Network in India. Wildlife Insitute of India. Dehradun. Pp 334.

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Source Paper on

Coastal and Marine Protected Areas in India: Challenges and Way Forward

(download pdf version)

Citation: K Sivakumar, VB Mathur & Anant Pande. (2013). Coastal and Marine Protected Areas in India: Challenges and Way Forward. In Sivakumar, K. (Ed.) Coastal and Marine Protected Areas in India: Challenges and Way Forward, ENVIS Bulletin: Wildlife & Protected Areas. Vol. 15 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun-248001, India. 292-298 pp.