The Marine Park in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, was founded in 2002.
It was created (by Law No. 8065) in the former yards of the Pacific Railroad with the following goals:
- Increase knowledge, learning, training and awareness of marine and coastal biodiversity in communities and students.
- Promote the development of the capacity for sustainable management and production of marine and coastal resources by communities and marine and coastal areas of the Pacific coast.
- Promote the generation of basic and applied scientific knowledge, including economic and market aspects, for the conservation and management of marine and coastal biodiversity of the coastline and the Pacific coast.
- Promote national and international tourism based on creative learning and on the valuation of marine and coastal resources that contribute to the self-sustainability of the Marine Park and the economic recovery of the coastline and the Pacific coast.
- Promote the transformation of the city of Puntarenas into a university city specialized in marine sciences, through education and research.
- Promote the protection, conservation and safeguarding of both marine and coastal biodiversity and the wetlands of the Pacific coast and coastline.
- Promote cooperation and scientific, academic and recreational exchange with public or private entities, national or foreign, that have or promote objectives similar to those of the Pacific Marine Park.
The featured photo shows a sea turtle at the Marine Park on Feb. 15, 2020.
