Indian Ocean Territories Marine Parks

A boat travels over the corals below

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

Draft management plans – consultation closed

Between 9 August and 19 September 2024, we held public consultation on draft management plans for Christmas Island Marine Park and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park.

The draft management plans have been informed by:

the science and consultation process undertaken to inform the proclamation of the Christmas Island Marine Park and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park in March 2022. This included co-design work with local communities, broad stakeholder consultation and scientific review
the first round of public consultation held from 6 July to 17 August 2023. The Report on the proposal to prepare draft IOT marine park management plans includes a summary of the comments received and how these were incorporated into the draft management plans
island-based advisory committees that have provided local perspectives and expertise to assist with the preparation of the management plans. The terms of reference for these committees are:

Comments received from this second public consultation period will be taken into consideration by the Director of National Parks to complete the final management plans.

The management plans and a report on the Director of National Parks views on the comments received during the public consultation will be provided to the Minister for the Environment for consideration and approval of the final management plans.

Until the management plans are approved and have come into effect, Parks Australia will regulate the marine parks in line with transitional management arrangements.

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 further information about the two new IOT marine parks please refer to the:

Indian Ocean Territories marine park grants program

To coincide with the establishment of the new Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) marine parks in the waters around Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Indian Ocean Territories Marine Park grant program was released 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. Find out more about our successful grant projects.