Indian Ocean Territories Marine Parks

Click on the map below to navigate the Indian Ocean Territories Marine Parks.

Overview

Covering 744,070 square kilometres of remote deep water ocean and inshore reef and lagoon habitats, Christmas Island Marine Park and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park are the two newest marine parks in the national network of Australian Marine Parks.

Established in March 2022, these marine parks help protect the unique marine environments of Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) and support positive social and economic outcomes for local communities and other marine users.

These marine parks adjoin Christmas Island National Park and Pulu Keeling National Park, which have helped to protect the unique island environments and species of the IOT for decades.

The marine environment of the IOT is known for iconic species such as whale sharks, turtles, manta rays, spinner dolphins and a vast array of seabirds. There are also lesser known but equally fascinating species, including locally evolved hybrid fish which result from the mixing of waters from the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the IOT.

Locals and visitors can experience the magnificent marine world of the IOT by themselves or with a local tour operator to head out scuba diving, snorkelling, kite surfing, kayaking, free diving or fishing.

For more information about the two new IOT marine parks please refer to the: Values of the Indian Ocean Territories Marine Parks.

Grants program

To coincide with establishment of the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) marine parks in the waters around Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a grants program was launched in March 2022 to contribute to the protection of these unique environments.

Seventeen grants worth over $3 million were approved by the Minister for the Environment and Water and most projects have commenced.