Marine and coastal protected areas in the Caribbean: Numbers, areal extent, distributions, no-take status, and management attributes

Although marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential tools for marine conservation, their effectiveness in the Caribbean region remains variable. This paper examines the areal extent, geographic distribution, regulatory design, physical attributes, and management characteristics of MPAs in the region using the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). As of January 2025, 554 MPAs were identified, covering 559,499 km² (∼12% of the Caribbean region), with substantial variation among nations: some provided theoretically complete protection while others protected less than one percent of their maritime territories. No-take MPAs represented a small fraction, comprising less than 13 % of all MPAs and eight percent of the total MPA area. Nearly half (47%) of all MPAs were smaller than 10 km². The most protective International Union for Conservation of Nature Protected Area Category (IUCN PAC) classifications (Ia and Ib) accounted for just four percent of all MPAs. Most MPAs (66%) were governed by national or subnational agencies, with limited official representation of non-governmental groups. Only one-third of MPAs had management plans, and fewer than one percent had plans undergoing development. Data gaps were substantial, with many MPAs not reporting no-take status (76%), management plan status (59%), IUCN PAC classification (22%), or governance type (22%). While the results indicate that the Convention on Biological Diversity’s target to protect at least 30 % of the world’s oceans by 2030 remains distant, the region’s substantial number of MPAs provides a foundation for expansion, offering opportunities to enhance protection, improve management, and guide future conservation strategies. • 554 MPAs identified in the Caribbean, covering 559,499 km² (12% of the region). • No-take MPAs comprised < 13% of all MPAs and < 8% of the total MPA area. • Many MPAs were small (47% < 10 km²) and government-managed (66%). • Few MPAs had strict IUCN PACs (Ia/Ib = 4%) and management plans (33%). • Substantial data gaps exist within the WDPA.