8 June 2012: In celebration of World Oceans Day, the World Commission on Protected Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Heritage Centre of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched a new iPhone application (app), which aims to act as a window on marine world heritage sites.

The objective of the app is to increase visibility of the 45 marine protected areas (MPAs) that are inscribed on the World Heritage List, and facilitate access to information about their particular value. According to UNESCO, there are are approximately 6,000 MPAs on the planet. The app allows users to view videos of the sites and their managers, and of consulting decisions the World Heritage Committee takes about the status of their conservation.

The application can be downloaded for free from the Apple app store and will soon also be available for Android-compatible devices. [IUCN Press Release] [UNESCO Press Release]