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These are:

Ecological criteria

4.4.1 Uniqueness or rarity – An area or ecosystem is unique if it is “the only one of its kind”.
Habitats of rare, threatened, or endangered species that occur only in one area are an
example. An area or ecosystem is rare if it only occurs in a few locations or has been
seriously depleted across its range. An ecosystem may extend beyond country borders,
assuming regional or international significance. Nurseries or certain feeding, breeding, or
spawning areas may also be rare or unique.

4.4.2 Critical habitat – A sea area that may be essential for the survival, function, or
recovery of fish stocks or rare or endangered marine species, or for the support of large
marine ecosystems.

4.4.3 Dependency – An area where ecological processes are highly dependent on biotically
structured systems (e.g. coral reefs, kelp forests, mangrove forests, seagrass beds). Such
ecosystems often have high diversity, which is dependent on the structuring organisms.
Dependency also embraces the migratory routes of fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, and
invertebrates.

4.4.4 Representativeness – An area that is an outstanding and illustrative example of
specific biodiversity, ecosystems, ecological or physiographic processes, or community or
habitat types or other natural characteristics.

4.4.5 Diversity – An area that may have an exceptional variety of species or genetic
diversity or includes highly varied ecosystems, habitats, and communities.

4.4.6 Productivity – An area that has a particularly high rate of natural biological production.
Such productivity is the net result of biological and physical processes which result in an
increase in biomass in areas such as oceanic fronts, upwelling areas and some gyres.

4.4.7 Spawning or breeding grounds – An area that may be a critical spawning or breeding
ground or nursery area for marine species which may spend the rest of their life-cycle
elsewhere, or is recognized as migratory routes for fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, or
invertebrates.

4.4.8 Naturalness – An area that has experienced a relative lack of human-induced
disturbance or degradation.

4.4.9 Integrity – An area that is a biologically functional unit, an effective, self-sustaining
ecological entity.

4.4.10 Fragility – An area that is highly susceptible to degradation by natural events or by
the activities of people. Biotic communities associated with coastal habitats may have a low
tolerance to changes in environmental conditions, or they may exist close to the limits of
their tolerance (e.g., water temperature, salinity, turbidity or depth). Such communities may
suffer natural stresses such as storms or other natural conditions (e.g., circulation patterns)