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Polynesian Navigator Nainoa Thompson and Oceanographer Sylvia Earle Call for Urgent Ocean Action at Paris SOS Ocean Summit

Cover image: Courtesy of Presidence de la Republique France.
(PARIS, FRANCE) – Last week, renowned Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle and Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO Nainoa Thompson joined global leaders in Paris for SOS Ocean, a high-level gathering held March 30-31 at the Musée National de la Marine. Under the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron and in collaboration with the Oceano Azul Foundation, the event convened policymakers, scientists, and advocates to confront urgent ocean challenges as France and Costa Rica prepare to host the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in Nice in two months (June 9-13, 2025).
The SOS Ocean convening aimed to shape the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a five-year agenda which will be negotiated during UNOC and is designed to prioritize ocean protection and restoration and support implementation of sustainable development goal SDG14: Life Below Water.…

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Research Expedition to Paramount: The Forgotten Seamount

Cover image: Alex Hearn
In January 2025, a team of scientists from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and Galápagos Science Center (USFQ-GSC) and the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) carried out a two-week expedition to Paramount: a shallow-water seamount rising from a depth of over 1,500 m to only 180 m below the surface, located 100 nautical miles northeast of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The objective of the expedition was to characterize the fish community around the seamount and explore its connections with Galápagos. The work was supported by the organizations Mission Blue, Galápagos Conservation Trust, MigraMar, and Bezos Earth Fund. 
Dr. Alex Hearn, Galápagos Hope Spot co-Champion and lead scientist on the expedition, explained that, “due to their relative inaccessibility, oceanic seamounts are relatively understudied, but often play similar roles to oceanic islands in the marine ecosystem.…

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New Co-Champions Announced for Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot

Cover image: Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot Dedication
Overstrand, South Africa – The Cape Whale Coast on South Africa’s Western Cape stretches over 200 kilometers of coastline from Rooi Els to Quoin Point. A region of striking natural beauty, the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot hosts a complex coastline of estuaries, beaches, and bays. Offshore, the convergence of the warm Agulhas Current and the cold Benguela Upwelling creates a nutrient-rich environment that sustains a wide diversity of marine life, including important breeding areas for the endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus). 
“South Africa is such an incredible part of the planet, where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean converge,” says Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder of Mission Blue. She continues, “To be able to stand at the Cape of Good Hope and actually have two oceans, blue and green, coming together, it’s just magical.…

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The Mission Blue South Africa Initiative – Catalyzing and Advancing the Hope Spot Network

Cover image: Aliwal Shoal Hope Spot. Credit: Allen Walker
The South African coastline is home to seven Hope Spots. Six of these – False Bay, Cape Whale Coast, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Algoa Bay, and Aliwal Shoal – were designated in 2014, while Maputaland, a transboundary Hope Spot spanning both South Africa and Mozambique, was designated in 2024.These areas host an important array of species and habitats, including the Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis), the only endemic seahorse species in South Africa; the largest gannetry in the world, with 250,000 breeding pairs; one of the most important nursery areas for the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis); as well as abundant kelp forests and colorful coral reefs.
In 2024, Mission Blue received generous funding to launch The South Africa Initiative, which aims to catalyze and strengthen the South African Hope Spot network.…

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Knysna Hope Spot Re-designated to Strengthen Conservation Efforts

Cover image: Blue stingray, Helen Walne. 
Knysna, South Africa – On South Africa’s Western Cape lies the Knysna Hope Spot, a unique region containing an important estuary, the marine coastline and offshore waters. Spanning the region from Buffel’s Bay to Sparrebosch and including the Goukamma Marine Protected Area (MPA), this biodiverse marine, coastal and estuarine system plays a pivotal role as an essential breeding ground for coastal fish species, along with the endangered Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis), South Africa’s only endemic seahorse species.
International marine conservation organization Mission Blue originally designated Knysna a Hope Spot in 2014 as part of a suite of South African Hope Spots. Today, Mission Blue is re-launching the Knysna Hope Spot by recognizing a new pair of Hope Spot Champions, welcoming Jessica Seath, Estuarine Ecologist at the Knysna Estuary Research Foundation (KERF), and Alan Whitfield, retired Chief Scientist at the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity as Champions. …

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Plett Hope Spot’s Re-designation Sets Stage for Stronger Conservation and Management

Cover image: Robberg Nature Reserve, Mission Blue.
Plettenberg, South Africa – Located along South Africa’s Southern Cape is the Plett Hope Spot, encompassing a sheltered ocean bay and linking Robberg Peninsula Marine Protected Area (MPA) to the edge of the oldest MPA in South Africa,  the Tsitsikamma. This spectacular stretch of coastline is home to a remarkable array of marine species, including the endangered humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) and colonies of iconic Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus). With its diverse ecosystems, including rocky reefs, sandy beaches, estuaries, and coastal forests, Plettenberg Bay is a vital hub for marine biodiversity.
On land, the Plett area spans from Kranshoek to Nature’s Valley in the east. The region’s importance is further underscored by its designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a Whale Heritage Area, and as one of South Africa’s Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSA).…

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Algoa Bay Hope Spot Re-Launches with New Champions for Conservation

Cover image © Sustainable Seas Trust
Algoa Bay, South Africa – Algoa Bay on South Africa’s Eastern Cape is one of the country’s largest bays, opening into the Indian Ocean. It is home to several of the world’s largest breeding colonies of critically endangered African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), the largest pods of bottlenose dolphins in the world and the famous sardine run, the largest migration of the planet. Bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone, Algoa Bay is a highly productive marine ecosystem due to the presence of the Benguela Upwelling system, which brings cold, nutrient-rich water into the area and supports a wealth of biodiversity. Rare species from both warm and cold currents co-exist in the bay.…

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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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Azores Archipelago Protects Thirty Percent of Waters

Cover image © Andy Mann
PONTA DELGADA, AZORES, PORTUGAL — The Autonomous Region of the Azores is making waves in marine conservation by establishing the largest network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the North Atlantic. This historic initiative safeguards 30% of the marine environment surrounding the Azores Archipelago, covering an impressive 287,000 square kilometers.
Mission Blue recognized the waters of the Azores Archipelago as a Hope Spot in 2021, advocating for a coherent network of marine protected areas extending from the surface to the deep seafloor. The Azores Archipelago began their efforts with marine protection in the 1980s, evolving through joint collaboration among government, universities, and local communities. The Blue Azores program, launched in 2019 from a partnership between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Waitt Institute, and the University of the Azores, has contributed to significant advances in marine conservation in the region.…

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Vilanova i la Geltrú Coastal Waters Named Hope Spot to Foster Fin Whale Conservation Efforts

Featured image: Fin whales, Edmaktub.org
(VILANOVA I AL GELTRÚ, SPAIN) –
The Vilanova i la Geltrú Coastal Waters Hope Spot encompasses a strip of coastal waters 12 to 15 miles wide (1944 km²) on the Catalan coast southwest of Barcelona. Recently, acoustic research findings have revealed that these waters may be an important feeding ground for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean.

International marine conservation nonprofit Mission Blue is pleased to recognize the Vilanova i la Geltrú Coastal Waters as a Hope Spot. Professor Michel André, Director of the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB-UPC), Founder and President of The Sense of Silence Foundation, and Dr. Marisa Zaragozá, Director of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (BarcelonaTech) campus of Vilanova i la Geltrú (UPC), are recognized as the Hope Spot Champions. …

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