Stretching over 160 kilometers along the coast of East Kalimantan Province, the Derawan Archipelago is among the most biologically rich and intact marine ecosystems in all of Indonesia. Maratua Island, one of Global Conservation’s focus areas, not only faces illegal fishing but also annual plastic islands washing onto its shores from the Philippines, Malaysia, and as far away as China.

Although 60% of the world's coral reefs are seriously endangered, there are still bright spots for ocean conservation - areas where reefs are thriving. Conserving these intact reefs is becoming more important than ever. One such place is Jardines de la Reina National Park, in Cuba.

Palau's coral reefs are considered one of the seven Underwater Wonders of the World. They contain a menagerie of megafauna, from giant clams and manta rays to sea turtles, dugongs and fierce saltwater crocodiles that swim among hundreds of coral and sponge species.

In the 1980s in Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, fish stocks were forced into a precipitous decline. When Cabo Pulmo National Park was declared in 1995, 35% was preserved as a no-fishing area. After determined action by local families, the entire park was designated a no-fishing zone.

Turneffe is the largest atoll in the Mesoamerican Reef and the largest marine reserve in Belize. This Marine Protected Area, or MPA, is facing serious threats as the ten-year old TASA implements Global Conservation's Global Park Defense.