Establish and Scale-up Atauro Island Marine Protected Area, Timor-Leste

The Coral Triangle Center (CTC) is working on Atauro Island, off the coast of Dili in Timor-Leste. The waters surrounding this island have among the most intact fisheries and coral reefs and highest biodiversity in the entire archipelago. CTC is working with local partners to create a series of five marine protected areas (MPA) surrounding the island and to create a functioning MPA network. As part of this effort, CTC is undertaking a large awareness campaign to sensitize local communities to the value of their marine resources.