Featured image: Posidonia seagrass meadow. © Kip Evans
(SAN FRANCISCO & GENEVA) – 
In a significant move to bolster global marine conservation, Mission Blue and the MSC Foundation today, on International Day for Biological Diversity, announced a strategic three-year partnership to implement an ambitious ocean literacy programme and seagrass restoration project. This collaboration unites Mission Blue’s expertise, led by renowned oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, with the MSC Foundation’s extensive outreach capabilities to inspire and mobilise widespread support for ocean protection.
Mission Blue and the MSC Foundation will collaborate on two main components: 

An ocean literacy programme, launching this summer, designed to educate and inspire about 4 million guests across MSC Cruises Division fleets about the importance of the ocean. The programme includes lessons, activities, and onboard presentations for cruise guests from luminaries in ocean conservation, emphasising the important role of Hope Spots and essential marine ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and kelp forests as well as the open ocean and deep sea beyond national jurisdiction.…

Featured image: Sunrise yoga. Photo © Mati Aravena
(SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA) –
Located along the New South Wales coast of Australia, the Sydney Coast Hope Spot is home to striking blue waters and a huge diversity of around 3,000 marine species. These species include over 600 species of vibrantly colored fish such as the protected weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus), which is endemic to Australian waters, and the peculiar pineapple fish (Moncentris japonica), whose jaw hosts glow in the dark bacteria. The last mainland colony of the little penguin (Eudyptula minor), the smallest penguin in the world at only 33cm high can also be found in Sydney Harbor.
With such a diversity of marine life, Sydney’s coastal waters are the pride and joy of the region and host more than 13 million visitors each year.…

Featured Image: Rugged coastline in Plettenberg Bay. © Mission Blue
(CAPE TOWN & PLETTENBERG, SOUTH AFRICA) –

South Africa is home to a particularly rich array of marine diversity with over 13,000 species, almost 6% of all coastal marine species worldwide. Even more impressive is that 35% of these are endemic (occurring nowhere else in the world). This species richness is largely attributed to the fact that two major current systems, the warm Agulhas and the cool Benguela current sweep along its coastline.
In 2014, with the goal of helping to shine a spotlight on the amazing biodiversity and special ecosystems found along the South African coastline, Dr. Sylvia Earle partnered with Dr. Tony Ribbink with Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) together with other stakeholders to identify key areas that could be designated as Hope Spots.…