Cover Image: Aerial view of Isla de Lobos, Uruguay. Credit: Jikatu. Author: Christy Keating The sanctuary, years in the making, will protect dozens of species and combat the effects of overfishing. On a tiny island five miles south of Uruguay’s southernmost point, a lighthouse soars nearly 200feet into the air. Its light has been keeping sailors safe since 1858, warning passing ships against the rocky shallows that surround the island. And now, for the first time, those waters themselves ar...| Mission Blue
Header Image: Giant Pacific octopus stretching out on Cordell Bank with schooling rockfish in the background. Image: Rob Lee. [SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA] – Off the coast of Northern California lie two federally recognized National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS), the Greater Farallones NMS and the Cordell Bank NMS. These distinct but interconnected sanctuaries are known for their [...]Read More...| Mission Blue
Marine protected areas (MPAs) can protect ocean life and build strong coastal communities for our children, grandchildren and future generations. But what's an MPA? And how does it help safeguard marine biodiversity? Read our MPA 101 series to learn the basics.| CPAWS British Columbia
Cover Image: Mark Ziembicki The Quirimbas Archipelago was designated a Mission Blue Hope Spot in 2013, and Dr. Sylvia Earle considers this area to be a “shining beacon of hope on the African Coastline”. Hope continues to grow in this jewel of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, with a large proportion of the area recently declared [...]Read More...| Mission Blue
Cover image: Diving in the Bazaruto Seascape © Andrea Marshall [Inhambane, Mozambique] –Mission Blue is pleased to welcome Rui Branco as the new Co-Champion of the Inhambane Seascape Hope Spot in southern Mozambique. Rui Branco, founding member and Director of Associação NATURA and co-founder of the Malamba Coastal Collaborative and a Mozambique native, brings over [...]Read More...| Mission Blue
ShareLikeTweetLinkedInPin Article photo: Ocean Film By Nikki Harasta | June 3, 2025 At the legendary age of 99, following a decades-long career as the voice for a planet now on the brink of climate collapse, David Attenborough delivers an important message to his audience in his most recent nature documentary, Ocean: “If we save the Sea,…| Marine Conservation Institute
Tavarua Island from the Reef’s Edge. Image: Chris Park [TAVARUA, FIJI] The waters surrounding Tavarua Island are now officially protected, following the Fijian Government’s endorsement of the Tavarua Island Marine Reserve. The declaration is an inspiring step forward in the Pacific nation’s leadership in marine conservation. The new protected area was officially designated under the [...]Read More...| Mission Blue
A rockfish takes shelter in a stand of giant kelp near the Monterey Peninsula.CDFW photo If you’re a fan of California’s underwater wildlife, and perhaps a member of the scuba diving co…| Marine Management News
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are significant tools for conserving our oceans and their precious ecosystems. Samoa State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA), nestled in Humboldt County along northern C…| Marine Management News
A new analysis of the world’s largest 100 marine protected areas (MPAs) published today in Conservation Letters suggests that governments are falling short on delivering the promise of effective biodiversity protection due to slow implementation of management strategies and failure to restrict the most impactful activities.| Marine Conservation Institute