• IMPORTANT MARINE
    MAMMAL AREAS

Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs)

Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) are defined as discrete portions of habitat, important to marine mammal species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation.

IMMAs are identified in order to prioritise their consideration for conservation measures by governments, intergovernmental organisations, conservation groups, and the general public.

The IMMA Initiative is the major activity of the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force.

NEXT EVENT

North West Atlantic Ocean and Wider Caribbean IMMA Regional Workshop

Mexico, venue to be decided, 12-18 May 2024

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IUCN MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTED AREAS TASK FORCE

The IMMA initiative is the major activity of the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF) which was created in 2013 by the International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas (ICMMPA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Marine Vice Chair, and members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) to help support a stronger global profile for the role of marine mammals in protected areas, and to provide a stronger voice for the MMPA constituency within IUCN.
The goal of the MMPATF is to facilitate mechanisms to encourage collaboration, sharing information and experience, accessing and disseminating knowledge and tools for establishing, monitoring, and managing MMPAs. The MMPATF promotes effective spatial solutions and best practices for marine mammal conservation within MMPAs.

From 2016-2021, the Task Force has been, and will continue to be focusing on setting up a series of regional workshops to identify Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), beginning with the Mediterranean in 2016, followed by the Pacific Islands (2017), the North East Indian Ocean and South East Asian Seas (2018), the Extended Southern Ocean (2018), the Western Indian Ocean and Arabian Seas (2019), Australia-New Zealand waters and South East Indian Ocean (2020), the Black Sea, Turkish Straits and Caspian Sea (2021) and the South East Tropical and Temperate Pacific Ocean (2022).

IMMA Secretariat

Erich Hoyt

Erich Hoyt

Task Force Co-chair
Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara

Task Force Co-chair
Gill Braulik

Gill Braulik

Task Force Deputy Chair
Caterina Lanfredi

Caterina Lanfredi

Simone Panigada

Simone Panigada

Margherita Zanardelli

Margherita Zanardelli

Gianna Minton

Gianna Minton

Elena Politi

Elena Politi

Web Developer / IT Officer

Announcing 33 new Important Marine Mammal Areas #IMMAs in SW Atlantic Ocean now approved & up on the IMMA e-Atlas for download & use in conservation planning. @marinemammalogy @EuroCetSoc @guardianeco @whalesorg @whalesorg_de @WFSJ
#whales #dolphins #ocean…

Exciting news! Experts have identified and mapped 🗺️ 33 new Important #Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) stretching from the Guianas, north of the Brazilian Amazon, to the tip of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. IMMAs have the potential to be delineated and managed for #conservation.

Following our recent paper on the Red List Status of Cetaceans, we are now happy to share our new infographic summarising the results.

‼️ 1 in 4 species of whale, dolphin and porpoise are assessed as threatened with extinction.

https://tinyurl.com/49drwm5t

Fantastic in-house learning today at @whalesorg as @ErichHoyt provided an update on the Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) work.

72% of the global ocean examined
242 IMMAs identified
33.3 million square kilometres covered
and counting..

Inspiring stuff!

@mmpatf

33 nuevas Áreas Importantes para los Mamíferos Marinos (IMMA) han sido identificadas y mapeadas en el Océano Atlántico Sudoccidental, desde las Guayanas, al norte de la Amazonia brasileña, hasta el extremo de Tierra del Fuego, en Argentina.

IUCN validou e mapeou 33 novas Áreas de Importância para Mamíferos Marinhos (IMMAs, do Inglês Important Marine Mammal Areas) no Atlântico Sul Ocidental, das Guianas ao norte da Amazônia brasileira até a Terra do Fogo na Argentina.

Announcing 33 new Important Marine Mammal Areas #IMMAs in SW Atlantic Ocean are now approved & are up on the IMMA e-Atlas.

4 more fin whales killed in the waters off #Iceland. Now 7 total. Substantial uncertainties if new welfare regs are followed. Investigations ongoing. Another sad day for globally Vulnerable fin #whales @whalesorg @whales_org @whalesorg_de @CetaceanSociety @Defenders @OceanCare…

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