Chile protected one million square kilometers of ocean in 2026. The announcement was tied to expanded marine protection around the Juan Fernández and Nazca-Desventuradas marine parks.

Quick Scoop

That move made Chile one of the standout ocean-conservation stories of the year, with reporting describing it as “one million square kilometres of ocean gains full protection.”

What it means

  • The protected area is marine, not land-based.
  • It was framed as a major conservation win for biodiversity and ocean governance.
  • The scale is roughly one million square kilometers, which is among the largest ocean-protection actions reported in 2026.

TL;DR

The country was Chile.