Marine conservation

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.

Coral and fish, for article on coral reef restoration

Colombia launches largest ocean reef restoration project in the Americas

By / / Good News For Humankind

Colombia’s reef restoration effort is one of the most ambitious marine recovery programs anywhere on Earth — a government-backed push to plant one million coral fragments across 494 acres of degraded Caribbean seafloor. It pairs underwater nurseries and scientific method with indigenous and coastal communities whose knowledge of local waters runs deep. That combination matters: restoration ecologists consistently find that community-rooted programs outperform purely technical ones at scale. If it holds, this project offers a replicable model for reef recovery across the Caribbean and beyond.

Fish, for article on fisheries transparency initiative

Ecuador becomes first Latin American country committed to Fisheries Transparency Initiative standards

By / / Good News For Humankind

Fisheries transparency just gained a major foothold in Latin America: Ecuador has become the first country in the region to join the Fisheries Transparency Initiative, pledging to publish vessel records, catch data, subsidies, and the identities of who ultimately profits. The commitment was announced in Manta, home to much of the country’s tuna fleet, and it opens a door that journalists and even government scientists have spent years knocking on without answer. A new national working group will bring civil society and industry to the table alongside officials, with annual independent reviews to keep progress honest. For oceans worldwide, where opacity has long shielded overfishing and illegal catch, Ecuador’s step offers a replicable model — and a reminder that sunlight remains one of conservation’s most powerful tools.