Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface and support the food, climate, and biodiversity systems that billions of people depend on. This archive tracks real progress in marine conservation — from expanding protected areas and restoring coral reefs to reducing plastic pollution and rebuilding fish populations. Each story focuses on what’s working and who is making it happen.
A huge marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean, almost four times the size of California, has led to the recovery of tuna and other migratory fish around its borders, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
A record number of Saimaa ringed seal pups were born this year, as tighter restrictions on fishing nets in the region led to fewer deaths.
Each of the 1,721 participating fishers will receive the equivalent of $10 a week for collecting up to 9 lbs of plastic waste from the sea daily.
Trawl nets literally sweep the ocean floor, turning a complex ecosystem into a desert.
Researchers believe that moving the shipping lanes just 15 nautical miles would stop hundreds of often fatal collisions between oil tankers and vast container ships and the whales.
The move is part of the country’s contribution to the global “30 by 30” conservation goal, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s seas and lands by 2030.
Ocean plastic cleanup just crossed a meaningful line: The Ocean Cleanup has now pulled more than 100,000 kilograms from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, all independently certified as ocean-sourced. The bulk came from “Jenny,” a system deployed in 2021 that swept an area roughly the size of Luxembourg across 45 extractions. Founder Boyan Slat frames it simply — repeat this haul a thousand times, and the patch is gone. The next-generation system is built to collect up to ten times faster, turning an overwhelming problem into a countable one. It’s a reminder that large-scale environmental repair, paired with cutting pollution at the source, is moving from theory into something the ocean can actually feel.
The recovery of a large whale population is not only a glimpse of hope; it is also likely to have a stimulating effect on primary production in the Southern Ocean, enhancing CO2 uptake and carbon sink capacities.
In 2005, residents of the area took the unprecedented step of setting aside a 30-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA). Seventeen years on, the area has made a remarkable recovery.
Heritage Colombia is a $245-million initiative to support the creation, expansion and improvement of 32 million hectares (nearly 80 million acres) of protected land and marine areas in the country over the next decade.
