Marine protection news and updates

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Introduction

Why are oceans important?

New Caledonia, World Heritage Site - Dan Laffoley, Natural England

Oceans are the lifeblood of planet Earth and humankind. The air that you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, the products that keep you warm, safe, informed, and entertained — all can come from or be transported by the ocean. YOU need the oceans to survive!

Our impacts on the oceans are vast: we take food, minerals, sand and more, in huge quantities, all the while pouring waste and toxins in. There is now nowhere on the planet that is untouched by human activities, and 40% of the oceans are heavily affected: our ocean is dying.

Sanganeb Atoll Lighthouse, Mohammed M.A. Kotb, PERSGA

A marine protected area is a space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters.

Marine reserves are a specific type of marine protected area, where activities that remove animals and plants or alter habitats are all prohibited, except as needed for scientific monitoring.

How can MPAs and reserves help?

MPAs and reserves - by regulating and reducing human activities inside them - can help to protect, manage, and restore marine biodiversity and ocean ecosystems.

What are networks of MPAs and reserves?

Networks of MPAs and/or reserves are groups of areas that are spatially separated, but oceanographically connected. Collectively, these areas achieve conservation goals more effectively than a series of unconnected protected areas.

Global facts about MPAs and marine reserves

Only 0.8% of the world's oceans are protected, and 0.08% is in marine reserves, i.e. no-take areas, strictly protected from all forms of extraction.

Targets to increase marine protection

Various targets have been adopted to increase the level of marine protection to up to 30% of the world's oceans by 2012. At current rates of MPA growth, this target will not be met until around 2100!

IUCN WCPA-Marine Plan of Action

As part of our work to protect planet ocean and assist in the achievement of global marine protection targets, IUCN WCPA-Marine recently developed its Plan of Action.