Initiatives

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is one of the most important places in the planet for marine biodiversity and is home to diverse cultures that depend on the ocean. It is also a region that is experiencing the impacts of climate change, threatening livelihoods and cultures.

Protecting the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape

The Bezos Earth Fund is supporting the implementation of the goal to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 in this region, including the creation of a large transnational marine protected area in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, as well as the expansion of marine protected areas in the Pacific Island States.

The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape is among the largest intact seascapes left on the planet. It extends from Costa Rica to Ecuador and encompasses islands including the Galapagos (Ecuador), Malpelo (Colombia), Coiba (Panama), and Cocos (Costa Rica) — all recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

This seascape has some of the highest endemic rates in the world and contains more than 90% of the coral reefs in the Eastern Pacific. It’s home to unique, irreplaceable marine mammal and seabird species that cycle between land, coastal, and sea ecosystems.

While more than 80 marine protected areas have been established in this area, conservation efforts have been incremental. They do not adequately protect the migratory species that depend on highly productive, connected marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

In 2022 the governments of Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica came together to propose the largest transnational marine protected area on the planet, covering 600,000 km2 — a size larger than California — including 300,000 km2 of new protected areas.

The Bezos Earth Fund stands with a coalition of funding partners to support the ambitious vision of the Ecuadorian, Colombian, Panamanian, and Costa Rican governments. Our funding supports efforts to expand existing and declare new marine protected areas, create conservation trust funds to provide long-term finance for protected area management and strengthen the management of these protected areas.