All articles tagged with #marine protected areas
David Attenborough's film 'Ocean' highlights the beauty and vulnerability of marine life, exposing destructive practices like bottom trawling and emphasizing the urgent need for ocean protection, with hopeful signs of recovery through marine reserves and conservation efforts.
A study published in Nature has revealed that plastic pollution is increasing in coral reefs, with deeper reefs having more plastic debris. The study found that almost three-quarters of the larger items were from "ghost gear" such as fishing ropes, lines, and nets. Plastic pollution poses an "emerging threat" to reefs already stressed by the climate crisis and overfishing. The researchers emphasized the need to expand marine protected areas to include mesophotic reefs, update international agreements to combat plastic pollution at its source, and develop low-cost, low-impact biodegradable alternatives.
The United Nations has adopted the first-ever legally binding international treaty governing the high seas, known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ), which imposes rules aimed at protecting the environment and heading off disputes over natural resources, shipping and other matters in waters beyond any country's national jurisdiction. The treaty establishes a framework for "Marine Protected Areas" to counter biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems of the ocean caused by the impact of climate change, including warming and acidification of oceans, as well as plastics, pollutants and overfishing. The treaty will go into effect 120 days after it is ratified by at least 60 U.N. member nations individually.
National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence Enric Sala explains how whales are crucial to ocean health and how their poop fertilizes shallow waters and feeds phytoplankton, which produce at least 50% of the oxygen in our atmosphere. Sala founded the Pristine Seas Project in 2008, which has worked with 17 countries to turn large swaths of the ocean into marine protected areas. A preserve in Dominica would protect the whales from their greatest threats: plastic trash, noise pollution, and ship strikes. The sperm whale population has been declining steadily for the last 20 years because of human threats that affect the whales not only in Dominica but all around the world.
National Geographic Explorer Enric Sala is proposing protections for the hundreds of sperm whales living off the Caribbean island of Dominica, where a preserve would protect them from their greatest threats: plastic trash, ocean noise pollution, and ship strikes. Sala's Pristine Seas Project has worked with 17 countries to turn large swaths of the ocean into marine protected areas. A preserve for sperm whales would also bring tourism dollars to the local economy, similar to how protecting mountain gorillas helped Rwanda.
Scientists exploring a previously unexplored part of the Galápagos marine reserve have discovered deep-sea coral reefs in pristine condition, raising hopes that healthy reefs can still thrive despite coral being in crisis due to record sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification. The discovery shows the effectiveness of conservation actions and effective management. The newly discovered reefs are potentially of global significance and could help scientists reconstruct past ocean environments to understand modern climate change. Ecuador is collaborating with its northern neighbours on a regional marine corridor initiative to protect and responsibly manage the ocean.