THE TERM OF SEA SENSITIVE AREAS, WHICH IS SHORTLY CALLED SSA, HAS BEEN USED IN WORLD’S MARITIME LITERATURE FOR LESS THAN TWO DECADES. THE SUBJECT OF SEA SENSITIVE AREAS WAS FIRST ISSUED BY MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE (MEPC) IN REACTION TO 1978 CONFERENCE ON TANKER SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION. FROM 1986, IMO HAS PUT THE SSA IDENTIFICATION AND INTRODUCTION AT HIS AGENDUM AND THIS ACTION RESULTED IN GUIDELINES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF THESE AREAS WHICH RELIED ON ECOLOGIC, ECONOMIC-SOCIAL, AND SCIENTIFIC REASONS AND EMPHASIZED VULNERABILITY AND SENSITIVITY OF THESE AREAS TO INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ACTIVITIES. THE FIRST ACTION REGARDING IDENTIFICATION OF SSA IN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN WAS DONE IN DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT IN 1994, LESS THAN A DECADE AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM IN IMO. IN 2001, IN THE MARINE ORGANIZATION CONFERENCE BY, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT TOOK THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING THE PROGRAM OF SSA HOLISTIC PROTECTION AGAINST POLLUTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER MARITIME ORGANIZATIONS. THE RESULT WAS CODIFICATION OF CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFICATION OF SSA CONSIDERING WORLD EXPERIENCES AND NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN FORM OF A WORK PLAN AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE MOST SENSITIVE COASTAL AREAS IN IRAN. IN THIS WAY, ANZALI LAGOON, THE MOUTH OF SEFID ROOD AND GORGAN BAY IN SOUTHERN COASTS OF CASPIAN SEA AND MUSA ESTUARY, NAI BAND BAY, TAREH KHORAN IN NORTHERN COASTS OF CASPIAN SEA, SIRIK INTERNATIONAL LAGOON, GUATER BAY IN IRANIAN COASTS IN OMAN SEA WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS CONSIDERING THE CRITERIA (UNIQUENESS, RARITY, LIFE HABITAT, DEPENDENCE, REPRESENTATIVENESS, VARIETY, FERTILITY, SPAWNING AREAS, ORIGINALITY, INTEGRATION, VULNERABILITY, BIO GEOGRAPHICAL IMPORTANCE, ECONOMIC USEFULNESS, ENTERTAINMENT, HUMAN DEPENDENCE, RESEARCH, BASIC STUDIES, ANALYZING AND TEACHING).