Melanesia Reserve to Be Big Like Amazon

Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands have announced plans to create the world’s first Indigenous-led ocean reserve—the Melanesian Ocean Reserve—spanning over 6 million square kilometers, an area comparable to the Amazon. The reserve aims to protect marine biodiversity and uphold Indigenous stewardship in the Pacific | #MelanesianOceanReserve #Vanuatu #SolomonIslands #PacificOcean #IndigenousLeadership #MarineProtectedAreas…

http://mattdotvu.blog/2025/06/15/melanesia-reserve-to-be-big-like-amazon/

The treaty establishes a framework for marine protected areas (MPAs) that can curb harmful activities like deep-sea mining.

MPAs have increased by over 160% since 2015 and aim for further growth! #MarineProtectedAreas #SustainableDevelopmentGoals

4-Jun-2025
Top scientists call for permanent ban on high seas exploitation

Extractive activity in international waters - including #fishing, #seabedMining, and #oil and #gas exploitation - should be banned forever, according to top scientists.

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1085880

#science #environment #conservation #MarineProtectedAreas #oceans

Devastating Impact Of #Trawling Revealed In World-First Footage Of Marine Animals Fleeing Nets
“This is something that doesn't have to happen in our #marineprotectedareas. It could end tomorrow, if we choose it to, and it would be to the benefit of every living thing on the planet,” director Toby Nowlan told IFLScience.
"This hit me in the guts. Being at the level of the net and seeing all these poor creatures trying to escape the net."-Enric Sala
https://www.iflscience.com/devastating-impact-of-trawling-revealed-in-world-first-footage-of-marine-animals-fleeing-nets-79370
https://archive.ph/2vAQm

22-May-2025
Fully protected marine areas in #Brazil are contaminated by #microplastics
Researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo used #oysters and #mussels as #sentinelOrganisms to assess the presence of these pollutants. The results show that even the most restrictive sites for human presence have significant contamination.

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1084986 #science #environment #MarineProtectedAreas #pollution

@davidho A slightly longer clip at https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/ocean-footage-of-bottom-trawling-depicts-ecological-vandalism/
includes the Trails of Destruction seen from space: off Europe, the US, China...

#DavidAttenborough laments that "very few places are safe".

#MarineProtectedAreas should be protected! End #BottomTrawling globally!

#OceanFilm #Ocean

South Korea's Maritime Minister announces plans to lead global expansion of marine protected areas, pledging to designate over 2,000 km² domestically and contribute to international efforts through regional fisheries management organizations.
#YonhapInfomax #MarineProtectedAreas #OurOceanConference #SouthKorea #MaritimePolicy #SustainableFishing #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=60843

#Supertrawlers spent 7,380 hours fishing in #UK #MarineProtectedAreas each year since #Brexit

by Alexandra Sedgwick | March 11, 2025

An investigation by #GreenpeaceUK reveals today that giant supertrawlers relentlessly continue to catch fish in the UK’s Marine Protected Areas, damaging precious #MarineHabitats and #FishPopulations, despite the UK government having had the powers to stop them since Brexit and committing to protect at least 30% of #UKWaters by 2030.

https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/supertrawlers-spent-7380-hours-fishing-in-uk-marine-protected-areas-each-year-since-brexit/

Sign the petition
Monster fishing vessels are hoovering up whole ecosystems in UK waters that are supposed to be protected. I just signed a petition calling on the new government to save our seas from destructive fishing, by banning supertrawlers in UK Marine Protected Areas. Will you join me?
https://act.gp/47MTYKR
#petition #uk #marineparks #fishing #marineprotectedareas #supertrawlers

🐟 Understanding #MarineProtectedAreas effectiveness is key for the 30x30 target. #MOVE (#BiodivProtect) evaluated 59 MPAs in California: boost in fished species biomass, but less in species richness/diversity. Which MPA features drive performance?
👉 https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14435

The State of The Ocean Is Intrinsically Linked to Human Health : ScienceAlert…

Once a government declares a marine protected area, you usually can't live in it, fish, build a beach resort, start a fish farm or drill for oil in it. The rules vary from place to place, but the idea is to allow nature to flourish by limiting human activity as much as possible... Science Alert #health #wellbeing #nature #conservation #unitednations #marineprotectedareas #ocean #biodiversity

https://formuchdeliberation.wordpress.com/2024/11/05/the-state-of-the-ocean-is-intrinsically-linked-to-human-health-sciencealert-2/

Dolphins, turtles and other sensitive #MarineLife are at threat from destructive #BottomTrawling - which has been banned in #MarineProtectedAreas for years.

Now we need governments to enforce this ban - because “Protected” means “Protected”.

Read more about destructive bottom trawling: https://brnw.ch/21wMD9L

#Oceans #ProtectOurOceans #Environment

More than 80% of EU marine protected areas are ineffective, study shows https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/13/more-than-80-of-eu-marine-protected-areas-are-ineffective-study-shows?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other #MarineProtectedAreas #MPA #Biodiversity

5-Sep-2024
Research shows #QueenConch populations in marine reserves replenish populations beyond the reserve in The Bahamas
The study could inform next steps for conch conservation in The #Bahamas

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1056979 #science #ecology #conservation #MarineProtectedAreas

19-JUL-2024
Global study by Hawaiʻi Institute of #MarineBiology demonstrates benefit of #MarineProtectedAreas to recreational #fisheries

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051920 #science #ecology

Excited to see the draft 30x30 framework for coastal waters released. So happy to be working with this team on developing the framework. Please participate in the public comment process if you can! @opc_california

https://opc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Item-7-Exhibit-A-Draft-30x30-Decision-Making-Framework-Coastal-Waters-508.pdf

#oceanconservation
#marineprotectedareas
#capitolhilloceanweek2024
#marineconservation
#marinesanctuaries

Opportunities for #HalfEarth and indigenous comanaged #MarineProtectedAreas: The project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement, which hopes to use information about where salmon are concentrated at sea to help curb illegal fishing. The centralized database will be housed by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and made publicly available.

https://alaska-native-news.com/huge-database-gives-insight-into-salmon-patterns-at-sea/73580/

4-APR-2024
Adult #fish struggle to bounce back in #MarineProtectedAreas
To replenish adult spawners, marine protected areas need strong enforcement and climate-friendly design

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1039611 #science #MarineBiology #ecology #conservation

#ClimateCrisis: Antarctica’s Ocean Acidity Set to Rise Rapidly by Century’s End https://eos.org/articles/antarcticas-ocean-acidity-set-to-rise-rapidly-by-centurys-end

Severe 21st-century #OceanAcidification in #Antarctic #MarineProtectedAreas https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44438-x

"Even the cold, remote waters are no refuge from #ocean #acidification. Acidity in the ocean around #Antarctica could double by the end of the century... As acidity rises, levels of calcium carbonate decline, and organisms that build shells begin running out of material."

Our paper is out ! "Alternate Stable States Theory: Critical Evaluation and Relevance to Marine Conservation"

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/12/2/261

The #AlternateStableStates theory has been invoked widely as a red flag within discussions of #climatechange impacts without ensuring that its basic assumptions are fulfilled. It's also a plea for more mathematical modeling in ecology to strengthen theory and its applications.
#revisingecologicaltheory
#tippingpoints #marineprotectedareas #criticalreview