The Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES) is an initiative by Marine Conservation Institute designed to catalyze strong protection for 30% of the ecosystems in each marine biogeographic region of the world’s oceans by 2030. It is a strategic, science-based way to safeguard marine ecosystems and will enable humans to recover marine life for us and future generations.
MPAtlas.org is an online resource and webapp by Marine Conservation Institute that lets users discover the world's marine protected areas and see amounts and types of protections within regions around the global ocean.
Washington D.C. – Marine Conservation Institute o Instituto de Conservación Marina, uno de los líderes ... » read more
More emphasis is needed on better marine protected area design, durable management and compliance to ensure that marine protected areas achieve their desired conservation value. It is a complex undertaking, but one that needs to happen.
Dr. Graham J. Edgar
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania
Marine-protected areas are clearly a positive trend, a reflection of the growing awareness of governments across the globe that the oceans and their bounty are not limitless or indestructible.
The New York Times
Editorial Board (February 15, 2014)
Well-enforced no-take marine reserves universally increase diversity, size, abundance, and biomass of fish inside their boundaries, which makes them very attractive to tourism. The Global Ocean Refuge System will help the world create more of these no-take marine reserves.
Dr. Enric Sala
Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society
Governments and scientists need to work together to better design, maintain, improve and protect ‘protected areas.’
The New York Times
Editorial Board (February 15, 2014)
The Global Ocean Refuge System is critical to saving the biodiversity of our oceans. It makes so much sense, we all should have thought of it a long time ago.
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Renowned Ocean Conservationist
GLORES is the most exciting marine conservation initiative I’ve seen in a while! I think we urgently need something that can be an alternative to a simple rating of conservation success based on the number of square kilometers their MPAs cover.
Dr. Rodolphe Devillers
Memorial University of Newfoundland
The creation of a marine-protected area is only the start of an effective conservation effort, not the end.
Saving wild ocean places, for us and future generations
Safeguarding global marine biodiversity with GLORES
The Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES) will catalyze protection of 30% of every marine ecosystem by 2030 through incentivizing countries to strongly protect the ocean by awarding protected areas "Global Ocean Refuge" status using scientific criteria.
MPAtlas.org is the world's most comprehensive and continuously updated marine protected areas database. Check out the cutting-edge analyses in the SeaStates report series, rankings of how well global coastal waters are protected.
Protecting our Marine National Monuments and Sanctuaries
We synthesize important scientific and policy information to encourage decision makers to protect our oceans for us and future generations. We are closely following how the Trump Administration impacts marine conservation and are dedicated to defending our marine national monuments and sanctuaries from any threats.
Our scientists are identifying important deep sea ecosystems and creating maps to aid our colleagues in the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition and High Seas Alliance in advocating protection for the high seas.
Marine Conservation Institute is working to secure lasting protection for the exceptional array of seamounts, ridges and banks off California's coastline.
Marine Conservation Institute is working to improve information about the risk of climate change and ocean acidification to marine ecosystems and local communities, and develop conservation strategies to improve ecosystem resilience.
We are committed to helping people explore our oceans’ underwater wonders through sustainable tourism. The Global Ocean Refuge System recognizes the world’s best protected areas and helps ocean adventurers find their next destination!
Marine Conservation Institute is working with the global scientific community to provide necessary information to help establish high seas protected areas and to strengthen high-seas governance.
Developing tools to advance scientific understanding
Ours experts are collaborating with Esri to create the world’s first 3-D map of our oceans to help scientists and decision makers better understand the oceans and revolutionize how we conserve marine life.
Marine Conservation Institute
saving wild ocean places, 
