THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA COVERS LESS THAN 1% OF THE GLOBAL OCEAN, BUT IT CONSTITUTES ONE OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF MARINE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITY ON THE PLANET. MORE THAN 500 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN THE 21 COUNTRIES THAT MAKE UP THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION. IT IS HOME TO MORE THAN 10,000 PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES, NEARLY 30% OF WHICH ARE FOUND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. YET, TODAY, ONLY 0.23% OF THE MEDITERRANEAN WATERS ARE DESIGNATED AS HIGHLY OR FULLY PROTECTED, COMPARED TO 2.9% OF THE WORLD OCEAN. IT IS TIME TO ACT AND PROTECT ITS BIODIVERSITY AND ALL THOSE WHO DEPEND ON IT. TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS !