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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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Panama Adopts the Saboga National Wildlife Refuge, Protecting Critical Sea Turtle Habitat and Upholding the Rights of Nature

Cover image © Callie Broaddus
[PANAMA CITY, PANAMA] On September 12, 2024, the Minister of the Environment of Panama, Juan Carlos Navarro, signed a Ministerial Decree No. DM-0631-2024, (Gaceta No. 30122-A, 19 September 2024) designating the Saboga National Wildlife Refuge, an almost 86 square kilometer area including 10 islands and islets of the Pearl Islands Archipelago.
The Pearl Islands Archipelago is a collection of over 240 islands and islets and 3,188 beaches, located in the Gulf of Panama, approximately 48 kilometers off the Pacific Coast of Panama. This Archipelago has an impressive marine species richness and diversity that has yet to be fully discovered, studied, and recognized for its importance within the Latin American region and around the globe. It provides, at least currently or historically, a breeding ground for four sea turtle species: hawksbill, green, leatherback, and olive ridley sea turtles.…

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Mission Blue’s Hope Spot Champions Propel Marine Protected Areas Day into a Worldwide Ocean Conservation Movement

Cover image © Two Oceans Aquarium

MPA Day, held annually on the 1st August, was created in 2021 to help celebrate the importance of MPAs for both people and nature. It was designed as a day to share stories and information about the importance of conserving the ocean. The campaign was initially organized by the Two Oceans Aquarium, co-Champions (along with Cape RADD) of the False Bay Hope Spot in South Africa, with ambitions to take the awareness campaign global. 
This year Mission Blue helped to make this wish a reality by taking the campaign truly global for the first time. With 15 Hope Spots spanning from the chilly shores of Northeast Iceland to the tropical waters of Nusa Penida in Indonesia getting involved.…

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An underwater canyon that traps krill: the secret of the whales in the Humboldt Archipelago

Featured image © Francis Pérez
Ocean Story contributed by Susannah Buchan, Humboldt Archipelago Hope Spot Champion
They say in Caleta Chañaral de Aceituno, located on the southern limit of the Atacama Region, that in the last five years the presence of whales has increased around Chañaral Island. Fin, blue and humpback whales are the species that are most frequently sighted in the surroundings of this town, which is part of the Humboldt Archipelago Multiple Use Protected Coastal Marine Area, the first bi-regional initiative promoted in Chile, and which will debut as a protected area in 2023.
These immense animals – the blue whale and the fin whale are the two largest species on the planet – and consume several tons of krill a day during the spring, summer and autumn seasons in the Humboldt Archipelago, a unique natural laboratory for scientists who study large cetaceans.…

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Everything Sharks! A Virtual Event with Eastern Tropical Pacific Shark Experts

August 25th, 2023 at 11:00am PDT (GMT – 7:00)
Everything Sharks! A Virtual Event with Eastern Tropical Pacific Shark Experts, Hosted by Mission Blue and MigraMar
 

 
Our Speakers:
Moderator – Max Bello, International ocean policy expert, Member, MigraMar
LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter
Alex Hearn – President, MigraMar, and Professor Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Hope Spot Champion, Galápagos Islands Hope Spot, Cocos-Galápagos Swimway Hope Spot
LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Sandra Bessudo – Marine biologist, Founder and Director of Malpelo Foundation, Hope Spot Champion, Malpelo Island Hope Spot, Member, MigraMar
 

 
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Ilena Zanella – Founder, Misión Tiburón, Hope Spot Champion, Golfo Dulce Hope Spot, Member, MigraMar
Email: , LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
James Ketchum – Director of Marine Conservation and Co-Founder of Pelagios Kakunja, Hope Spot Champion, Gulf of California, Member, MigraMar
Email: …

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

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The Northeast “Whale Capital” of Iceland Recognized as Mission Blue Hope Spot

(NORTHEAST ICELAND) –
Mission Blue has named Northeast Iceland a Hope Spot in recognition of the area’s rich diversity of marine life, the brilliantly unique ecosystems they reside in, and the work of Hope Spot Champions Belén García Ovide, Dr. Charla Jean Basran, and Eva Björk Káradóttir to encourage formal protections for them. The Northeast Iceland Hope Spot is being honored on the evening of June 5th at the Explorers Club in New York, New York, as part of World Ocean Week celebrations with Dr. Sylvia Earle. 
 
 
Dr. Earle, Founder of Mission Blue, says, “In this area, just beneath the surface, [there is] a vibrant world of geothermal vents, upwelling currents, nutrient-rich waters, and a place where biodiversity proliferates in a dynamic environment.…

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Cocos Island Hope Spot Champion Randall Arauz Pushes for Improved Marine Protections

Header photo by Cristian Dimitrius
Traducción al español al final.
COCOS ISLAND, COSTA RICA (May 27th, 2021)
Costa Rica has long been recognized around the world for its conservation efforts to protect its wildlife both on land and under the sea. Scientists estimate that approximately 5% of the world’s biodiversity is nestled in the country’s dense rainforests and beneath the surface of its 581,725 km2 exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, a closer look reveals that out of Costa Rica’s 20 marine protected areas (MPAs), very few provide tangible protection for marine species. In fact, the vast majority are Multiple Use Marine Areas (MUMA), which are under-patrolled and allow for destructive fishing practices that damage the environment and have led to the further depletion of marine species that are vital to the continuance of sustainable food sources.…

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Little Cayman Hope Spot: Celebrating a Brilliant Example of Successful Marine Conservation

Cayman Islands (June 6th , 2020)

The smallest of the Cayman Islands is home to fewer than 200 people – and yet at roughly 10 miles long by one mile wide, Little Cayman has become known as a magnificent oasis in the Caribbean. Small but mighty, the island shines as a flourishing example of what protection for marine ecosystems can look like when conservation is prioritized. The island’s colorful reefs are considered some of the healthiest in the Caribbean and support a rich ecosystem bursting with creatures like sea turtles, sharks, stingrays and a rainbow of corals. Behind the scenes of the conservation of Little Cayman’s brilliant marine life is Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI). Their resilience, restoration and assisted evolution research efforts examine the features that enable corals to persist through time, despite changing conditions.…

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A Triumph for the Sea: The Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area Declared New Mission Blue Hope Spot

NUSA PENIDA, INDONESIA (May 22, 2020)

The rugged islands and magnificent underwater landscapes of the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area (MPA) are a reef lover’s paradise, brimming with creatures like manta rays, sunfish and turtles. Located just a short trip from Bali, the Nusa Penida MPA covers an area of 20,057 hectares surrounding Nusa Penida and two smaller neighboring islands, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan. For centuries, the people of the Penida Islands have lived in harmony with these waters. In 2008, the area was identified as a site with a high livelihood dependency on marine resources and was recognized as a critical area for marine biodiversity through a rapid ecological assessment. This report translates to reality for many of the 48,000 members of traditional villages who, on a day-to-day basis, rely on the sea for their livelihoods.…

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2nd Annual Shark Conference Grows Support for MPAs in Gulf of California

Mission Blue Expeditions Team, led by Kip Evans, travelled to the Gulf of California Hope Spot last month and continued its multi-year work of supporting shark conservation in the region through documentary video and community engagement in partnership with Pelagios Kakunja. This La Paz-based non-profit is led by Dr. James Ketchum and is at the vanguard of shark telemetry and a strong advocate for enhanced protection of sharks in the region. The Expeditions Team was joined by Andrea Asunsola, a marine biologist based out of Baja California Sur and Pelagios Kakunja alumna, who helped create local connections, interview shark fishermen and generally support the conservation goals of the expedition.
Over the course of the expedition — part of a shark conservation project generously funded by the Marisla Foundation Paul M.…

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