All the archipelagos of French Polynesia - with the exception of the Marquesas Islands which have no reef barrier - harbor coral marine environments. The urgency of protecting these environments is imperative in the face of the destruction of 20% of the corals within the past 50 years and the risk that half of what remains will have disappeared by 2050. To preserve this wealth, the ambition of French Polynesia is to become the largest marine protected area in the world by 2020.