Human activities are putting unprecedented pressure on the ocean and its inhabitants. Unsustainable fishing and other extractive industries are putting species at risk, destroying vital habitats, and polluting waters. A changing climate is leading to a warmer ocean, rising seas, and ocean acidification, which in turn impact species, ecosystems, and the vital ecosystems services we rely upon. The time for change is now.

Fully and highly protected areas are a critical line of defense for the ocean and serve as refuges for many species. According to leading conservation experts, 30% of each marine biogeographic region must be conserved in effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative, well-connected systems of marine protected areas by 2030 to safeguard biodiversity and the benefits humans derive from nature. Percentage targets, such as this, elevate accountability and mobilize political will and funding toward meeting conservation goals.