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Exmouth Gulf Marine Park Declared, Protecting Hope Spot

Cover image: Courtesy of Oceanwise Australia
EXMOUTH GULF, AUSTRALIA – Exmouth Gulf and the Ningaloo Coast form one of Earth’s extraordinary marine ecosystems, home to whales, dugongs, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, sea snakes, and migratory shorebirds. The area is also home to significant Aboriginal cultural heritage, with evidence of continuous connection and stewardship stretching back more than 40,000 years. Its seagrass meadows, mangrove systems, and sheltered waters provide important nursery grounds for marine life and play a vital role in the broader Ningaloo ecosystem.
On September 4, 2025, the Cook Government announced the establishment of a whole-of-gulf marine park, marking a major milestone in conservation for the region. This outcome reflects decades of persistent research and advocacy, outlined in detail in the timeline below.…

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New Marine Park Designation for Western Australia’s Great Southern Reef and Salisbury Island Hope Spots

Cover image © Stefan Andrews
Western Australia, November 5, 2024 – After over 30 years of advocacy and three years of consultation, the South Coast Marine Park is now a reality. Spanning 1,000 kilometers of Western Australia’s southern coastline, the new marine park encompasses two Mission Blue Hope Spots.
Australia’s Great Southern Reef, a vast network of interconnected marine ecosystems, is home to thousands of unique marine species, including marine mammals, sharks, kelp forests and many invertebrates. This is the first sanctuary protection for the ecologically rich environment of the southern coastline of Western Australia.
The new protected area includes four interconnected marine parks—Mamang Maambakoort, Wudjari, Western Bight, and Mirning—jointly managed with Traditional Owners. This co-management model ensures conservation efforts respect both traditional knowledge and modern science, and honor the deep cultural environmental ties of Indigenous communities to these waters.…

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A Win for the Ocean! Timber Port Plans Rejected at Kangaroo Island North Coast Hope Spot

Photo: Smith Bay (c) Phyll Bartram, Hope Spot Champion
Kangaroo Island, Australia (August 2021)

The application submitted to build a deep-water port facility at Smith Bay, Australia by Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers (KIPT) has been rejected by Vickie Chapman, Minister for Planning and Local Government. Chapman quoted  potential long-term and irreversible impacts on the environment, local business and character of Kangaroo Island in her decision.
“I am aware my decision will have an impact on the local timber industry, and I can assure South Australians that I will continue to search for a sustainable solution for this industry on Kangaroo Island,” Chapman said.
Tony Bartram, Champion of Kangaroo Island North Coast Hope Spot, shares his support of the decision. “Through a multi-year campaign we sought to educate at multiple levels about the beautiful blue space we have – the oceans – in the hope of informing decision-making processes.…

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Young Marine Conservationist Champions the Fish Rock Hope Spot in New South Wales to Protect Critically Endangered Grey Nurse Sharks

Header image: Justin Gilligan
SOUTH WEST ROCKS, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 24TH,  2021)

A five hour drive north of Sydney, New South Wales, is South West Rocks, a coastal town that just 5,000 people call home. Below the surface of its sandy beaches and picturesque pine trees is a 125-meter long underwater tunnel with its own unique ecosystem that supports a habitat for the critically endangered grey nurse shark. Local SCUBA diver and ocean conservationist Shalise Leesfield has a goal to establish a 1500m radius marine protected area at Fish Rock to protect these sharks and hundreds of other marine species that call the underwater tunnel home. Leesfield hopes that the recognition of the Fish Rock Hope Spot will bring to light the condition of Australia’s Grey Nurse shark population and the lack of support awarded to their recovery.…

Posted in .Homepage, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Featured, mission blue, Partner Stories, Photo of the Day, Uncategorized |

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Gold Coast Bay Hope Spot Embraces Harmony Between City and the Sea

GOLD COAST BAY, AUSTRALIA (2020)

The glowing beaches and glimmering waters of the Gold Coast Bay have drawn both Australians and globe-trotting tourists alike to its shores for decades. The bay’s most popular attraction is perhaps the populations of Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) who congregate and migrate through. The huge mammal’s impact in the area stretches beyond the famous sight of their waving tails. Humpback whales carry with them microorganisms that connect several marine ecosystems on the coast, making them an important piece of the health of the country’s coastline.
 
 
The Gold Coast Bay has been declared a Mission Blue Hope Spot in support of the Hope Spot Champion, Olaf Meynecke of Humpbacks & High-rises Inc., and his partners’ goals of protecting the whales’ sensitive populations with unified conservation, boating and fishing regulations, and a strong ecotourism industry that prioritizes animal safety and public appreciation for the natural world.…

Posted in .Homepage, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Featured, mission blue, Partner Stories, Uncategorized |

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Haven for White Sharks Off Western Australia’s Southern Coast Highlighted as New Hope Spot

SALISBURY ISLAND, AUSTRALIA, (July 8th, 2019)
Thirty nautical miles off Western Australia’s southern coast lies Salisbury Island, a remote landmass of limestone and granite that has long held secrets of Australia’s past: the continent’s geological history, archaeological heritage and the mysterious life of the white shark, a sea creature that has captivated mankind for millennia.
The waters surrounding Salisbury Island have recently been named a haven for white sharks thanks to the unique biodiversity of the area. What sets this shark haven apart from many others around the world is the fact that Salisbury Island has been left virtually untouched by humans. Conservationists with organization Finding Salisbury, Inc. are seeking official government protection to maintain the area’s stable condition with a comprehensive no-take state marine reserve and a “virtual tourism” program to allow the public virtual access while keeping the area wild.…

Posted in .Homepage, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Featured, mission blue, Partner Stories, Uncategorized |

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Citizen Scientists Nurture the Moreton Bay Hope Spot

The power of the people that helped to secure Hope Spot designation for Moreton Bay Marine Park in 2016 continues to build on that strong stewardship legacy. In 2017, citizen scientists have been collecting important information on the habitats and wildlife across beautiful Moreton Bay/Quandamooka including topics from mangroves to manta rays. These efforts complement the knowledge and care provided for tens of thousands of years by the traditional owners of the region, and is increasingly important with the rapidly growing population in this unique region.
“Citizen scientists provide not only data, but hope. The commitment to collecting high-quality information to help care for this unique place and its wildlife demonstrates how the community can play a truly important and influential role in science-based stewardship,” said Jennifer Loder, Reef Check Australia.…

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Houtman Abrolhos Islands Announced as Mission Blue Hope Spot During Necker Island Blockchain Summit

The Houtman Abrolhos Islands, an A-Class marine reserve 60km off the coast of Geraldton in Western Australia, have been recognised as an ocean Hope Spot by ocean conservation organisation Mission Blue, joining 85 other sites globally and one other in Australia – Moreton Bay in Queensland.
The Mission Blue Hope Spot program, led by legendary oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, is a global campaign to build public awareness, support and, where necessary, protection for special places that are vital to the health of the ocean.

Often described as the Galapagos Islands of the Indian Ocean, there are few places in Australia wilder and with more biodiversity than the remote Houtman Abrolhos Islands. The islands provide substantial economic, scientific and social benefits to the Western Australian community, including commercial fisheries for rock lobster, scallops and finfish; pearl aquaculture; recreational fishing; marine-based activities; bird watching and a developing tourism industry.…

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Protect the Reef, Protect Ourselves

By Courtney Mattison

I was certain that the photos of magenta, green and golden corals, crinoids, anemones and fish in the dive boat brochures had been enhanced. No actual coral reefs looked that exquisite in real life, did they? I prepped my camera and donned my dive gear. As my dive buddy and I landed in the water and sank deep below the surface, the brilliant world below came into view. Jacques Cousteau’s words echoed in my ears: “Through the window of my mask I see a wall of coral, its surface a living kaleidoscope of lilac flecks, splashes of gold, reddish streaks and yellows, all tinged by the familiar transparent blue of the sea.” If anything, those dazzling brochure photos failed to capture the energy and diversity of life on the actual Great Barrier Reef – truly one of the living wonders of the world.…

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Five Ocean Critters to Hope For in the New Year

As we look to the New Year, we’re taking time to think about ocean critters that inspire us to be hopeful. From the thousands of sharks that have been spared from finning due to recent bans in Asia to coral species that may be able to withstand ocean acidification, sea creatures big and small give us pause and merit our attention. Here’s a list of five animals that especially deserve our hope in the coming year:
Blue Whale
As the largest animal on Earth, the blue whale is one impressive cetacean! This long, slender marine mammal goes by the Latin name of Balaenoptera musculus, and has a heart that weighs 600 kilograms. Whalers hunted the endangered blue whale to near extinction for over a century until this practice was banned in 1966.…

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