The Important Marine Mammal Area Network: the growing tool for assisting global conservation efforts to protect marine mammal habitats

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Abstract
The Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) program was launched in 2016 by the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force as a response to the conservation crisis in the protection of marine mammals and wider global ocean biodiversity. IMMAs identify discrete portions of habitat, important for one or more marine mammal species, which have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. Scientific experts identify IMMAs during regional workshops based on criteria covering critical aspects of marine mammal biology, ecology and population structure.Between 2016-2024, eleven expert workshops - engaging more than 300 experts - have resulted in the identification of 280 IMMAs located in over 100 countries or territories across 80% of the world’s ocean. Candidate IMMAs undergo independent peer review before acceptance and are then disseminated via a searchable database and dedicated online e-Atlas. IMMAs identified to date provide important habitats for 93 of the 135 recognised marine mammal species. Around 69% of IMMAs in the network were identified based on habitat for marine mammal species that are threatened on the IUCN Red List. Approximately 58% of IMMA surface areas occur within Exclusive Economic Zone waters, while 42% fall within areas beyond national jurisdiction.IMMAs are increasingly utilised in environmental impact assessments, marine spatial planning exercises, maritime traffic routing, and international, national, and regional conservation, policy and management initiatives. These include those governed through the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the design and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the development of MPA networks. The Task Force is working toward completing a global network of IMMAs that will contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework (Target 3) of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 and to the identification of areas to be protected based on the UN BBNJ Treaty.