Synopsis The Gulf of Mannar is not only the first marine biosphere reserve in India, but also the first in South and Southeast Asia. The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (GoMBR) encompasses 21 islands. These are uninhabited islands, ranging in size from 0.25 ha to 130 ha, spreading along the coast for 170 km, with the closet being 500 m and the furthest, over 4 km from shore. The islands and their shallow waters form the core of the reserve. This core area is in turn surrounded by a 10km wide buffer zone. It is deemed a priority area under the authoritative reference work published by the World Bank, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park authority and the World Conservation Union. The IUCN commission on National Parks and Protected Areas, with the assistance of UNEP, UNESCO and WWF, identified the Reserve as being an area of "particular concern" given its diversity and special multiple-use management status. The Reserve is among six areas chosen on the basis of its threatened status and richness in biological wealth and it is included in the action programme to save India’s protected areas for future generations.