Palau National Marine Sanctuary

In 2015, the island nation of Palau designated 80% of its ocean waters as the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, establishing one of the world's largest marine protected areas. Unlike many large-scale reserves, this sanctuary has the entire country's population living at its center, making its success critical not just for ocean health but also for food security, culture, and livelihoods.

At the request of the Government of Palau in 2019, the Center for Ocean Solutions and the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) co-led a working group to understand the implications of fully implementing the sanctuary. The group identified challenges and opportunities related to domestic fisheries, sanctuary enforcement, and climate change, among other topics. The final report outlined policy options for decision-makers and emphasized the need for long-term monitoring, ongoing research, and continued dialogue with communities whose livelihoods depend on the ocean. 

Building on these insights, PICRC convened an expert panel that later developed a Science and Monitoring Strategy to guide research and management of the sanctuary from 2024 to 2034. The strategy incorporated extensive input from local stakeholders and the broader scientific community. It also emphasized traditional conservation approaches, such as bul, a cultural practice of dynamic ocean protection that adapts to changing conditions.

Center for Ocean Solutions researchers Fiorenza Micheli, Eric Hartge, Collin Closek, and Natalie Arnoldi participated in a strategy working group session in December 2022, which remains one of the largest convenings of research scientists in Palau to date. Hartge also co-authored the final strategy.

Read the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Report Read the Science and Monitoring Strategy 2024–2034

Palau National Marine Sanctuary Report

• Main Report
• Executive Summary
• Appendix A: Palau’s Maritime Governance Overview
• Appendix B: Towards Strengthening Palau’s Domestic Fishery Sector
• Appendix C: Science, Monitoring, and Evaluation: Operationalizing the PNMS Policies
• Appendix D:  PNMS Science Plan Summary
• Figure 4 Supplementary Material
• Preliminary Draft Science Plan 2019