Protect Spaces - Ocean Central
Marine protection is central to the ocean’s health. By restricting or managing human activity, protected areas provide ecosystems with space to recover, allowing fish stocks to rebuild, habitats to regenerate, and resilience to grow in the face of climate change.
When well-designed and equitably managed, these areas deliver broad benefits: supporting sustainable fisheries and tourism, securing food and livelihoods, storing carbon in habitats such as seagrasses and mangroves, and preserving cultural values.
Recent years have seen a growing emphasis on high-quality protections. In December 2022, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed to a target to protect 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030. The ratification of the High Seas Treaty, which will enter into force in January 2026, will provide a boost to protect 30% of international waters.
In addition to policy commitments, financial incentives and nature-positive investment frameworks are reshaping how protection is funded and prioritized. Indigenous leadership and community stewardship are also gaining recognition for their role in delivering meaningful and durable outcomes. Together, these shifts are redefining what protection means — not just drawing boundaries, but providing space for nature to recover and thrive.
Conserve 30% of Marine and Coastal Areas
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has set a target to conserve 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030. The gap between the current status (8%) versus the goal (30%) signals an opportunity to protect additional marine environments.