World Heritage Identification Number: 1325
World Heritage since: 2010
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Protected Areas & National Parks
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇰🇮 Kiribati
Continent: Oceania
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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The Phoenix Islands Protected Area: A Giant Sanctuary in the Central Pacific
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is a vast expanse of marine and terrestrial habitats situated in the heart of the Southern Pacific Ocean. Encompassing the Phoenix Island Group, one of three island groups in Kiribati, this protected area represents the largest designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) globally, spanning over 408,250 square kilometers. Established in 2010, PIPA was the first site in Kiribati to be inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA) is a 408,250 sq.km expanse of marine and terrestrial habitats in the Southern Pacific Ocean. The property encompasses the Phoenix Island Group, one of three island groups in Kiribati, and is the largest designated Marine Protected Area in the world. PIPA conserves one of the world's largest intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems, together with 14 known underwater sea mounts (presumed to be extinct volcanoes) and other deep-sea habitats. The area contains approximately 800 known species of fauna, including about 200 coral species, 500 fish species, 18 marine mammals and 44 bird species. The structure and functioning of PIPA's ecosystems illustrates its pristine nature and importance as a migration route and reservoir. This is the first site in Kiribati to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (vii): Phoenix Islands Protected Area, an oceanic wilderness, is sufficiently remote and inhospitable to human colonisation as to be exceptional in terms of the minimal evidence of the impacts of human activities both on the atolls and in the adjacent seas. The Phoenix Islands Protected Area is a very large protected area, a vast wilderness domain where nature prevails and man is but an occasional visitor. The property is distinguished by containing a large suite of seamounts complete with a broad expanse of contextual abyssal plain with a natural phenomenon of global significance. The essentially pristine environment, outstanding underwater clarity, the spectacle of large groups of charismatic aquatic animals (e.g. bumphead parrotfish, Napolean wrasse, surgeonfishes, parrotfishes, groupers, maori wrasse, sharks, turtles, dolphins, manta rays, giant clams) in quantities rarely found elsewhere in the world, aesthetically outstanding coral reef features (e.g. giant clams, large coral heads) together with the spectacle of huge concentrations of seabirds on remote atolls, makes of this property a truly kaleidoscopic natural oceanscape exhibiting exceptional natural beauty of global significance.
Criterion (ix): With its rich biota, as a known breeding site for numerous nomadic, migratory and pelagic marine and terrestrial species, and the known and predicted high level of biodiversity and endemicity associated with these isolated mid-ocean atolls, submerged reefs and seamounts, Phoenix Islands Protected Area makes an outstanding contribution to ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of global marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. Phoenix Islands Protected Area has exceptional value as a natural laboratory for the study and understanding of the significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of marine ecosystems of the Pacific, the world's largest ocean, indeed all oceans. This property is of crucial scientific importance in identifying and monitoring the processes of sea level change, growth rates and age of reefs and reef builders, (both geologically and historically) and in evaluating effects from climate change.
Encyclopedia Record: Phoenix Islands Protected Area
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is located in the Republic of Kiribati, an ocean nation in the central Pacific approximately midway between Australia and Hawaii. PIPA constitutes 11.34% of Kiribati's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and with a size of 408,250 km2 (157,630 sq mi), it is one of the largest marine protected areas (MPA) and one of the largest protected areas of any type on Earth. The PIPA was also designated as the world's largest and deepest UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.Additional Site Details
Area: 40,825,000 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
Coordinates: -3.864454 , -172.650203
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Phoenix Islands Protected Area reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
Image
© Kerry Lagueux, New England Aquarium., CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Phoenix Islands Protected Area from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Biological Surveys of Carondelet, a Shallow, Submerged Seamount in the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati
A rare survey of Carondelet, a remote submerged seamount within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), reveals limited but significant marine biodiversity. Despite challenging conditions that previously hindered exploration, researchers documented 12 coral genera, 120 bony fish species, and two shark species, with coral cover ranging from 12.8% to 35.3%. The study highlights the dominance of Montipora and Acropora at shallower depths (5–8 m) and Porites and Pavona at deeper sites (20 m). Evidence of fishing activity, including unfouled lines, suggests human impact persists even within protected zones. This work provides the first published biodiversity data for Carondelet, contributing critical baseline information to PIPA's conservation efforts.
Mangubhai, S., Nand, Y., Tekiau, A., Zgliczynski, B., & Sandin, S. (2024). Biological Surveys of Carondelet, a Shallow, Submerged Seamount in the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati. Atoll Research Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.24970113
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Limited conservation efficacy of large-scale marine protected areas for Pacific skipjack and bigeye tunas
Large-scale marine protected areas (MPAs) may not effectively conserve tropical tuna stocks, including skipjack and bigeye tunas. A study evaluating the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) and hypothetical 33% MPAs in the western and central Pacific found minimal stock-wide conservation benefits for these species. Using the SEAPODYM model, researchers compared control and counterfactual simulations to assess population dynamics under different MPA scenarios. Results indicated weak to non-existent benefits for skipjack tuna (-0.1% to +5.8% change in spawning biomass) and modest gains for bigeye tuna (+4.8% to +12.0%). The limited efficacy is attributed to the species' wide larval dispersal and high mobility, which dissipate MPA protective effects. Additionally, fishing effort displacement from MPAs can negatively impact stocks outside these areas. This suggests that large oceanic MPAs may not be effective frontline management tools for tropical tunas with similar life history characteristics.
Hampton, J., Lehodey, P., Senina, I., Nicol, S., Scutt Phillips, J., & Tiamere, K. (2023). Limited conservation efficacy of large-scale marine protected areas for Pacific skipjack and bigeye tunas. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1060943
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Historical Trends of Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) Distribution in the Phoenix Archipelago
Historical whaling records reveal that the Phoenix Archipelago, now home to two large Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), was once a critical sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) habitat. Analysis of 19th-century data shows these whales were present year-round in the region, with hotspots identified within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) and near Howland and Baker islands, suggesting long-term ecological significance. While modern surveys are lacking, anecdotal evidence indicates that MPAs may support population resurgence, though not to pre-whaling levels. This study underscores the importance of historical baselines for measuring MPA effectiveness in marine conservation efforts.
Kennedy, B. R. C., Hakam, L., Witting, J., Milani, R., Taei, S., Smith, T., Taylor, E., Teemari, T., & Rotjan, R. D. (2021). Historical Trends of Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) Distribution in the Phoenix Archipelago. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.583326
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An Analysis of the Tuna Diplomacy between Pacific Island Countries and EU -Take Kiribati as an example
Pacific Island Countries, including Kiribati, rely heavily on tuna resources for economic and political gains. Kiribati, with its vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 3.55 million square kilometers, faces significant economic dependence on tuna due to limited other resources. The European Union (EU), seeking new fisheries to address overfishing in the Atlantic and expand its influence in the Pacific, has engaged in tuna diplomacy with Kiribati. This study analyzes the fishery partnership agreement between Kiribati and the EU, highlighting both cooperative efforts and frictions. It provides insights into how Kiribati can further benefit from tuna resources in the future, emphasizing the strategic importance of tuna diplomacy for small island nations.
Xuande, F., & Yuting, G. (2021). An Analysis of the Tuna Diplomacy between Pacific Island Countries and EU -Take Kiribati as an example. E3S Web of Conferences, 251, 1071. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125101071
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Cruise Report: EX-17-03, Discovering the Deep: Exploring Remote Pacific Marine Protected Areas (ROV and Mapping)
A 23-day expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer revealed critical baseline data about poorly understood deepwater ecosystems surrounding the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), Howland and Baker Unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and Tokelau. Using remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives combined with mapping operations, researchers significantly advanced scientific understanding of these remote marine protected areas. The expedition, part of NOAA's CAPSTONE initiative, aimed to provide publicly accessible data to support future exploration, research, and management efforts in the region.
Maxon, A. (2021). Cruise Report: EX-17-03, Discovering the Deep: Exploring Remote Pacific Marine Protected Areas (ROV and Mapping). EX-17-03. https://doi.org/10.25923/Y9NQ-3P80
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Increasing Coral Reef Resilience Through Successive Marine Heatwaves
A study of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) reveals that coral reefs are becoming more resilient to marine heatwaves over time. Analyzing an 18-year record of coral cover across three major bleaching events, researchers found that coral mortality due to thermal stress has decreased in recent heatwaves compared to earlier ones. This suggests that selective survival through successive heatwaves may be shaping the coral community's response to future warming. The findings highlight the potential for corals to adapt under repeated thermal stress and underscore the importance of identifying conditions that facilitate coral survival and recovery to effectively manage reefs amid climate change.
Fox, M. D., Cohen, A. L., Rotjan, R. D., Mangubhai, S., Sandin, S. A., Smith, J. E., Thorrold, S. R., Dissly, L., Mollica, N. R., & Obura, D. (2021). Increasing Coral Reef Resilience Through Successive Marine Heatwaves. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(17). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl094128
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Oceanographic Drivers of Deep-Sea Coral Species Distribution and Community Assembly on Seamounts, Islands, Atolls, and Reefs Within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area
Deep-sea coral communities in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) are shaped by oceanographic factors, with seamounts hosting more diverse and abundant species compared to islands, atolls, and reefs. This pattern is driven by stronger currents and nutrient upwelling on seamounts, which enhance coral growth and recruitment. The study used submersible surveys and genetic analyses to map coral distributions across 19 sites, revealing that depth, substrate type, and oceanographic conditions are key determinants of community assembly. These findings highlight the importance of seamounts as biodiversity hotspots and underscore the need for targeted conservation strategies in PIPA.
Auscavitch, S. R., Deere, M. C., Keller, A. G., Rotjan, R. D., Shank, T. M., & Cordes, E. E. (2020). Oceanographic Drivers of Deep-Sea Coral Species Distribution and Community Assembly on Seamounts, Islands, Atolls, and Reefs Within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00042
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