As defined by the WWF and The Nature Conservancy
The following is a list of marine ecoregions, as defined by the WWF and The Nature Conservancy
The WWF/Nature Conservancy scheme groups the individual ecoregions into 12 marine realms, which represent the broad latitudinal divisions of polar, temperate, and tropical seas, with subdivisions based on ocean basins. The marine realms are subdivided into 62 marine provinces, which include one or more of the 232 marine ecoregions.
The WWF/Nature Conservancy scheme currently encompasses only coastal and continental shelf areas.[a][b]
Arctic realm
(no provinces identified)
Temperate Northern Atlantic
Northern European Seas
Lusitanian
- South European Atlantic Shelf
- Saharan Upwelling
- Azores Canaries Madeira
Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
Cold Temperate Northwest Atlantic
Warm Temperate Northwest Atlantic
- Carolinian
- Northern Gulf of Mexico
Temperate Northern Pacific
Cold Temperate Northwest Pacific
Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific
Cold Temperate Northeast Pacific
Warm Temperate Northeast Pacific
Tropical Atlantic
Tropical Northwestern Atlantic
North Brazil Shelf
Tropical Southwestern Atlantic
St. Helena and Ascension Islands
West African Transition
Gulf of Guinea
- Gulf of Guinea West
- Gulf of Guinea Upwelling
- Gulf of Guinea Central
- Gulf of Guinea Islands
- Gulf of Guinea South
- Angolan
Western Indo-Pacific
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Somali/Arabian
Western Indian Ocean
West and South Indian Shelf
- Western India
- South India and Sri Lanka
Central Indian Ocean Islands
Bay of Bengal
- Eastern India
- Northern Bay of Bengal
Andaman Sea
Central Indo-Pacific
South China Sea
Sunda Shelf
Java Transitional
- Southern Java
- Cocos-Keeling/Christmas Island
South Kuroshio
Tropical Northwestern Pacific
Western Coral Triangle
Eastern Coral Triangle
Sahul Shelf
Northeast Australian Shelf
Northwest Australian Shelf
Tropical Southwestern Pacific
Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands
- Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands
Eastern Indo-Pacific
Hawaii
Marshall, Gilbert, and Ellice Islands
Central Polynesia
Southeast Polynesia
Marquesas
Easter Island
Tropical Eastern Pacific
Tropical East Pacific
Galapagos
- Northern Galapagos Islands
- Eastern Galapagos Islands
- Western Galapagos Islands
Temperate South America
Warm Temperate Southeastern Pacific
Juan Fernandez and Desventuradas
- Juan Fernandez and Desventuradas
Warm Temperate Southwestern Atlantic
Magellanic
Tristan-Gough
Temperate Southern Africa
Benguela
Agulhas
Amsterdam-St Paul
Temperate Australasia
Northern New Zealand
- Kermadec Islands (195)
- Northeastern New Zealand (196)
- Three Kings-North Cape (197)
Southern New Zealand
East Central Australian Shelf
Southeast Australian Shelf
Southwest Australian Shelf
Western Central Australian Shelf
Southern Ocean
Subantarctic Islands
Scotia Sea
Continental High Antarctic
Subantarctic New Zealand
See also
Notes
- ^ One classification of the deep oceans is PPOW:
Spalding, Mark D.; Agostini, Vera N.; Rice, Jake; Grant, Susie M. (2012). "Pelagic provinces of the world: A biogeographic classification of the world's surface pelagic waters". Ocean & Coastal Management. 60: 19–30. Bibcode:2012OCM....60...19S. doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2011.12.016. ![Paid subscription required](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
- ^ Ocean-floor environments are examined in Watling, et al. 2013:
Watling, Les; Guinotte, John; Clark, Malcolm R.; Smith, Craig R. (April 2013). "A proposed biogeography of the deep ocean floor" (PDF). Progress in Oceanography. 111: 91–112. Bibcode:2013PrOce.111...91W. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2012.11.003.
References
- Spalding, Mark D., Helen E. Fox, Gerald R. Allen, Nick Davidson et al. "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas". Bioscience Vol. 57 No. 7, July/August 2007, pp. 573–583.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marine ecosystems.
- World Wildlife Fund—WWF: Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW)
- Queries listing ecoregions [1] and provinces [2] from Wikidata