This article was originally shared by The Ocean Decade

The ocean is a busy and vital space, home to diverse ecosystems and a wide range of human activities. From fishing boats and wind farms to conservation zones and shipping routes, many interests are converging in the same blue backyard. Solving these “ocean use conflicts” starts with bringing scientists, policymakers, and local communities to the table to find sustainable ways to share ocean space.

In this article, we highlight four initiatives endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (‘Ocean Decade’) that are pioneering innovative solutions through science, capacity building, and partnerships – helping to navigate the trade-offs of a growing ocean economy.

As the demand for ocean space grows, so do the pressures and trade-offs between conservation, livelihoods, and development. The closure of some islands for coral restoration can create tensions with local tourism businesses. Plans to expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can clash with energy or shipping interests. When existing uses are affected by new plans or policies, concerns can emerge. How do we turn potential conflicts into win-win solutions where both people and the ocean can thrive?

These are the challenges and opportunities of managing the ocean sustainably: balancing economic development with the need to protect marine ecosystems. Sustainable ocean planning helps nations map out how to use their ocean space wisely, with tools like MPAs, fishing regulations, and pollution management. The four success stories below highlight how the Ocean Decade is turning scientific research into solutions for more sustainable ocean policies.

How Blue Parks are setting a global standard for effective Marine Protected Areas

All over the world, countries are creating MPAs – setting aside parts of the ocean to safeguard biodiversity, support fisheries, and protect coastal communities. But while some are well-designed and strongly regulated, others experience difficulties in being properly implemented and enforced.

With the input of over 100 marine scientists from around the world, the Blue Parks initiative of Marine Conservation Institute has set a global gold standard for ocean protection – the Blue Park Standard. This science-based checklist defines the key elements of successful marine life protection, from strategic design and good governance to preventing harmful activities and ensuring long-term effective management.

“To truly conserve marine biodiversity, we need to effectively protect at least 30% of the ocean—not only increase MPA coverage, but also ensure quality. Blue Parks shifts the focus toward meaningful, lasting protection. Our goal is for all marine protected areas to meet the Blue Park Standard, ensuring that they are able to produce the conservation outcomes that revitalize ocean ecosystems and benefit people.” - Sarah Hameed, Director of the Blue Parks initiative at Marine Conservation Institute.

Since its launch, the Blue Parks initiative has already recognized 30 MPAs across 23 countries, covering 3.5 million square kilometers of ocean – roughly 1% of the global ocean. Another 12 MPAs are moving toward this recognition, working with local leaders and scientists to reach this high standard through Blue Parks’ Blue Spark collaborations. Marine Conservation Institute will announce the 2025 Blue Park Awards at the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference.

Ocean “corridors” for wildlife: How MIGRAVÍAS protects ocean highways

Every year, whales, sharks, and turtles travel thousands of kilometers across the open ocean, following ancient migratory routes and crossing invisible lines drawn by humans. Protected areas like the Galápagos or Coco Island offer safe havens, but what about the journey in between?

Led by MigraMar, the Decade Project MIGRAVÍAS is creating swimways – safe corridors across the Eastern Pacific that connect MPAs and protect species on the move.

“Migravías provide hope for endangered migratory species by protecting the routes that connect their critical habitats. Backed by MigraMar’s cutting-edge research, these ocean corridors guide science-based conservation efforts across the Eastern Pacific Ocean.” - Sandra Bessudo, Executive Director of Fundación Malpelo y Otros Ecosistemas Marinos and Chair of MigraMar’s Board of Directors.

This science-driven initiative has helped turn isolated MPAs into connected ocean corridors, linking Colombia to Panama and Costa Rica to Ecuador. By 2030, this initiative aims to protect the whole journey – connecting feeding grounds, breeding sites, islands, and seamounts across national borders.

Ocean labs for high seas protection: Conservation beyond borders with SARGADOM

In 2023, after years of negotiating, the world adopted the BBNJ Agreement – a landmark UN treaty to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in international oceanic spaces, now boasting 112 signatory countries. The first meeting of the Preparatory Commission for the entry into force of the Agreement is currently taking place until 25 April in New York City, USA.

SARGADOM, a Decade Project led by the University of Brest (Université de Bretagne Occidentale), the MarViva Foundation and the Sargasso Sea Commission, is testing how to implement the Agreement. The initiative is working in two iconic biodiversity hotspots: the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic and the Thermal Dome in the Pacific. These remote, life-rich regions are now “living laboratories,” testing how the BBNJ Agreement can be implemented on the water.

“Because nature does not know administrative and organization frontiers, conservation has to be designed across them. In the spirit of cooperation that led to the adoption of the BBNJ Agreement, SARGADOM engages sectorial international organizations, neighboring countries and the international community to reflect on a science based hybrid governance model for conservation in the high seas,” says Denis Bailly, coordinator of the Ocean University Initiative at the University of Brest, UMR-AMURE.

In the Pacific, the Thermal Dome is now recognized as a vital refuge for whales, sharks, and rays, earning its place as a Mission Blue® Hope Spot®. Countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama are now working together to slow down ships and protect marine life. In the Atlantic, the Sargasso Sea is forging new alliances with shipping and fishing industries to reduce their impact on fragile marine ecosystems.

Across both regions, scientists are tracking marine life, deploying underwater sensors, and even recording the ocean’s soundscape – listening closely to the rhythms of life underwater and gathering critical data to guide future ocean protection. The two sites work jointly to build ways to protect marine biodiversity from the diverse pressures caused by human activities and proposed governance models in the context of the new opportunities offered by the BBNJ Agreement. One of the objectives is to contribute to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by being among the first areas in the high seas endorsed under the BBNJ Agreement.

How whales are warning us about climate change

Whales are more than just majestic creatures: they are climate allies, ecosystem engineers, and sentinels of change. That’s the idea behind Whales and Climate, an international research project led by Griffith University, bringing together scientists from 37 institutions across six countries. Their mission is to understand how climate change is reshaping the lives of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales and what that means for the ocean itself.

In Antarctica, scientists collected vital data on whale populations, tracking their movements and taking samples to study how their distribution is shifting in a changing climate. Their work led to the first-ever agent-based model predicting whale migration routes – a tool to help whales navigate a warming world. They also discovered new insights into whales as climate engineers, from storing carbon and fertilizing the ocean to supporting marine productivity.

“Whales can function as key indicators for marine conservation because their health and adaptation reflect the overall condition of entire marine ecosystems. Understanding whale populations’ responses to drastic changes in the ocean helps guide sustainable ocean planning by highlighting areas in need of protection and informing ecosystem-based management strategies.” - Dr Olaf Meynecke, Manager of the Whales and Climate Program.

As both indicators and influencers of marine ecosystems, whales are helping to guide more informed, sustainable decisions for ocean planning in a rapidly changing world. As the ocean grows busier and more complex, science must remain at the heart of how we plan, protect, and share this vital space – so that both people and nature can thrive, now and for generations to come.

For more information, please contact:

Ocean Decade Communications Team ([email protected])

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