Palau, located in the western Pacific Ocean, is world renowned for its healthy and incredibly diverse marine ecosystem. Home to more than 1,300 species of fish and 700 species of coral, the Micronesian island nation has been called one of the seven underwater wonders of the world. The nutrient-rich waters are teeming with sharks, turtles, manta rays, dugongs and tropical fish.

The president of Palau requested technical support from Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project to help create the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, which at 193,000 square miles (500,000 square kilometers), is one of the largest fully protected areas in the world. With creation of the sanctuary, Palau has set aside a higher percentage of its marine zone for full protection than any other country in the world.

Our Work

Article

October 27, 2016

Palau Builds on Its Ocean Conservation Legacy

Palau is an archipelago of more than 250 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. The nation’s people and their culture are deeply tied to Palau’s legacy of conservation. The waters surrounding...

Article

May 27, 2016

Palau Authorities Target Illegal Vietnamese Fishing Vessel

On May 26, authorities in Palau set fire to a Vietnamese vessel engaged in illegal fishing near Tobi Island, in the southwest of the Pacific nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). A number of...

Article

May 13, 2016

Palau Releases Plan to Monitor and Enforce National Marine Sanctuary

Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. has released a five-year monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) plan to fight illegal activities and manage emergency responses in the Pacific island...
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Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy
Archived Project

Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy

Pew and the Bertarelli Foundation have joined forces in a new partnership with the goal of increasing the number of fully protected parks in the sea from nine to 15 by 2022.

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Archived Project

Working together since 2011, The Pew Charitable Trusts and Dona Bertarelli formalized their partnership with Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy in 2017 with the shared goal of supporting the creation of the first generation of ecologically significant, large, and effective marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world.

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Where We Work
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Global Ocean Legacy works with local communities, governments and scientists around the world to protect and conserve some of our most important and unspoiled ocean environments.

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Global Ocean Legacy works with local communities, governments and scientists around the world to protect and conserve some of our most important and unspoiled ocean environments.

Learn More