Marine protected areas (MPAs), Indigenous protected areas, and community-led protected areas that meet the Blue Park Standard for effective marine conservation earn a Blue Park Award and join the Blue Parks Network, a global community of the best-protected places in the ocean. The Blue Parks initiative is endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Ocean Decade).
Learn about the nomination process below and nominate your MPA using the linked online form.
Nominate a Blue Park (opens in new tab)
Preview the nomination questions before you begin. Download in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.
Nominations received by 14 August 2026 will be reviewed for the 2027 Blue Park Awards, which will be announced at the 12th Our Ocean Conference. Nominations submitted after 14 August 2026 will be reviewed in order of receipt for the 2028 Blue Park Awards.
Questions? Contact us at blueparks@marine-conservation.org.
Who can nominate
- Any implemented MPA is eligible. This includes marine, Indigenous, and community-led protected areas of any size and any protection level, from small community-managed areas to the largest reserves. The MPA must be legally designated and already in place. Proposed or planned MPAs are not eligible.
- Anyone familiar with the MPA can nominate it. You do not need to be the MPA manager. Scientists, NGO staff, community members, and other stakeholders can all submit a nomination.
- Nomination is free. There is no cost to submit a nomination or to be evaluated against the Blue Park Standard.
Why nominate your MPA
A Blue Park Award brings international recognition to MPAs that meet the Blue Park Standard, the most rigorous science-based standard for effective marine conservation. Nominating your MPA can help you:
- Build national pride. A Blue Park Award recognizes your country's leadership in ocean conservation and gives communities a reason to celebrate their MPA.
- Strengthen government support. The award provides independent, science-based validation that can help secure political backing and long-term funding commitments.
- Attract donor confidence. Blue Park status signals credibility to funders looking to invest in MPAs with proven conservation outcomes.
- Raise visibility for tourism. International recognition draws attention from visitors and operators looking for well-managed, biodiversity-rich destinations.
- Join a global network. Blue Park status connects your MPA to a network of practitioners managing some of the best-protected places in the ocean, with opportunities to share knowledge and solve shared challenges.
- Access prizes and capacity-building support. The Blue Park Award comes with a cash prize, and awardees are eligible for funding and technical support to help accelerate improvements that will strengthen conservation outcomes.
What to expect from the nomination process
- Time varies. The nomination survey covers all of the components of the Blue Park Standard. Nominators who already have MPA documents and data on hand finish in under an hour. Nominators who need to gather information first should expect it to take longer.
- Incomplete nominations are reviewed. The purpose of the form is to give the Blue Parks team the information and documentation needed to draft a formal evaluation of the MPA against the Blue Park Standard. If you cannot answer every question, submit what you have. Our team will follow up if we need more information.
- Every nomination is evaluated. After you submit, our team drafts an evaluation report and shares it with the MPA management team for review and comment. The Science Council then uses this evaluation to decide on Blue Park Awards.
- Not awarded yet? You can renominate. If your MPA does not meet the Blue Park Standard at this time, the evaluation report identifies the gaps and, where relevant, includes Science Council recommendations on what would be needed to meet it. MPAs are welcome to renominate in a future cycle once those gaps are addressed. Some MPAs also become candidates for a Blue Spark collaboration to help close the gaps.
Documents to prepare
Gather the following documents before you start, if available:
- Descriptions of ecosystems, biodiversity, and endangered or endemic species, and oceanography (official descriptions, maps, monitoring reports, scientific papers, etc.)
- Geospatial data of MPA boundaries, regulatory zones, and ecosystem distributions (if available), as maps or GIS files
- Current MPA management plan and monitoring plan
- Documentation of MPA regulations and enforcement plans and reports
- Annual budget, if available
You do not need every document to submit a nomination. Include what you have, and note where information is missing or in progress.
Questions? Contact us at blueparks@marine-conservation.org.
