State of the Ocean report 2024
UNESCO-IOC has published their 2024 State of the Ocean Report, an up-to-date knowledge for ocean action. Included is a section with an update on MSP globally! Framed around the seven Outcomes of UN…
Author: Jo Smith
Barbados Blue Bonds Case Study
The Barbados Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation project supports the nation’s commitment to ocean protection and a marine spatial plan, unlocking $50 million to support environmental and sustainable development projects over the next 15 years.
MSP Zoning in Canada
The Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) has published the Zoning Framework in Marine Policy journal. The Zoning Framework was successfully used to zone 102,000 square km in the North Pacific Coast of British Columbia….
Barbados Blue Bond
A new Blue Bonds project will unlock $50 million to help Barbados protect up to 30% of its marine ecosystems. Inclusive, Science-Based Marine Spatial Planning Is Key for Lasting Success. For small island…
Belize Blue Bond
On 5 November 2021, Belize and TNC announced an innovative US$364 million financial transaction with the Government of Belize that will enable the country to reduce its debt burden and generate an estimated…
New! MSPglobal International Guide for MSP
The new MSPglobal International Guide on Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning is now available online and for download. Link to the guide in English is available here. Soon available in Spanish, French, and Arabic. This guide…
State of the World’s Mangroves
A comprehensive new report from Global Mangrove Alliance shows the benefits of mangroves—and how they can be saved. The average rates of global mangrove loss are slowing, and mangroves are being restored across…
Blue Bonds for Oceans
Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation presents an opportunity for island and coastal nations to reinvest in their natural resources.TNC works with a country to refinance a portion of their national debt in a…
Seychelles hits 30% protection goal
On 26 March 2020, the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Danny Faure, announced the achievement of a milestone for Seychelles: the legal designation of one third of Seychelles’ ocean territory as a Marine…
Blue Bonds TED Audacious Project
On 16 April 2019, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) announced at TED in Vancouver, Canada a plan to drastically scale-up ocean conservation around the world. By delivering a project called “Blue Bonds for Ocean…
Great Bear Sea in Canada
Jenn Burt joined Nature United as BC Marine Program Lead in January 2019. One of her key goals is to build partnerships to strengthen sustainable fisheries and support healthy ocean-based coastal economies. Part…
Implementing MSP in Canada
On Canada’s west coast, marine spatial plans were completed in 2015-2016. Strong marine plans now underpin co-management between First Nations and the Province of BC and tripartite relationships with First Nations, Province of…
Bahamas Protected Area Design
The Bahamas National Protected Area System currently protects approximately 10% of the country’s marine environment. Under the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI), the Bahamas has committed to effectively conserving and managing at least 20%…
Development by Design
The Nature Conservancy’s Development by Design promotes a proactive approach to help guide sustainable development decision-making by looking beyond individual project locations to identify the cumulative impacts of development on natural areas across…
Hi-Res coral reef mapping!
The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean, Carnegie Institution for Science and Planet launched a groundbreaking initiative to create the first-ever high-resolution map of the shallow waters of the entire Caribbean Basin. Groundbreaking photos…