Hope Spot Champion Grantee Highlight: Cocos Island

December 8, 2025

Featured Image: Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) identified on a research expedition. Credit: Edwar Herreno

COCOS ISLAND, COSTA RICA – 

Randall Arauz’s path to marine conservation began as a teenager on Junquillal Beach, Costa Rica, when he witnessed an olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) laying her eggs—only to see the nest raided by poachers moments later. That experience inspired a lifelong commitment to protecting sea turtles and the ocean ecosystems they depend on.

Arauz’s early work focused on protecting nesting beaches and exposing the deadly impact of industrial longline fishing on adult sea turtles. Through PRETOMA and later CREMA-Costa Rica, Arauz pioneered research the migratory routes of endangered species like leatherbacks and hammerhead sharks, helping to identify a critical corridor between Costa Rica’s Cocos Island and Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands.

This corridor—traveled by a wide range of marine species—runs along a chain of underwater mountains known as seamounts. These areas function as biological “stepping stones,” where animals feed, rest, and gather during migration. Yet much of this migratory path remains open to industrial fishing and lacks effective protection.

In 2020, Mission Blue recognized Cocos Island as a Hope Spot and named Arauz its Champion. With support from a Mission Blue grant, Arauz and his team have deployed a series of acoustic receivers along the Cocos-Galápagos seamount chain. This technology enables scientists to track migratory species in real time and identify the precise locations where protection is most needed.

Many years of data-supported advocacy by Arauz and his team has had a powerful impact. In 2021, Costa Rica expanded the protected area around Cocos Island from just 2,000 to over 54,000 square kilometers. Ecuador soon followed with the establishment of the Hermandad Marine Reserve in 2022, protecting another 60,000 square kilometers.

“Mission Blue’s support has not only helped us carry out costly field research,” says Arauz, “but has also brought global attention to the urgent need for science-based policy in this region.”

Despite this progress, Arauz points out that the corridor still lacks full protection where it matters most. The current boundaries of marine protected areas don’t always align with migratory routes, leaving critical habitats vulnerable to industrial fishing. He refers to this mismatch as “the crooked swimway,” and emphasizes the need for policy to follow the data.

Backed by Mission Blue, Arauz and CREMA-Costa Rica continue their work—collecting data, pushing for stronger protections, and building international momentum for a fully connected marine corridor.

“Real change takes time,” Arauz says. “But with science, persistence, and partnerships like Mission Blue, we’re creating a future where ocean life can thrive.”