Kep Archipelago

The Kep Archipelago Hope Spot is located in southern coastal Cambodia, covers a 113 km2 area, and encompasses a dozen islands covered with tropical forests. Its shallow waters – never deeper than 10 meters – host spectacular fringing coral reefs, mangrove forests, and what used to be one of the largest seagrass meadows of Southeast Asia. It constitutes the only protected recovering habitat in the area and nursery ground for numerous marine species, including four species of endangered seahorses. The area suffers from Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which has destroyed vast areas of valuable habitats and accelerated species depletion, particularly between 2008 - 2018. However, the Kep Archipelago is a resilient ecosystem with good ecological potential and will hopefully thrive again under effective protection.

Protected Species

Coral Reefs Mangrove forests Seagrass Seahorses