We Need to Act Like the Ocean’s Future Is on the Line – Because It Is

I was still in high school when I was invited to serve as a field assistant and boarded a small boat bound for Gorgona Island, a former penal colony off the Pacific coast of Colombia. Our team was there to document biodiversity on an ambitious field expedition led by scientists determined to catalog what the island held before development or indifference could erase it. I remember the dense green forest, the black sand beaches, and the clear blue water surrounding us. But what I remember most vividly is the sudden appearance of a whale shark just offshore. It moved with unhurried confidence through the crystalline Pacific, immense and utterly indifferent to us.

That moment stayed with me. The wonder was unforgettable. But what struck me most was the clarity: science helps reveal and catalog what’s worth protecting.

Years later, that island would be designated a national park, its unique ecosystems legally safeguarded. It became one of Colombia’s early steps toward a broader commitment to marine protection across the Eastern Tropical Pacific – the vast waters connecting Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. The early fieldwork we did wasn't a footnote. It was a foundation that helped illuminate what was there and why it deserved protection.

Ocean protection is no longer a matter of curiosity or conscience. It is a matter of consequence. It is a matter of survival – and it’s why, at the Bezos Earth Fund, ocean conservation is a key part of our efforts to protect what remains of Earth’s biodiversity, restore what’s been lost, and transform how we feed the world.

What we choose to protect now will shape the resilience of tomorrow’s ocean. We need to act like the ocean’s future is on the line – because it is. The ocean stabilizes our climate, generates half the oxygen we breathe, and feeds billions of people. We need intact marine ecosystems not as a luxury, but as life support.

Why Ocean Conservation Is Now a Climate Imperative

Marine biodiversity has plummeted by more than half over the last fifty years. Coral reefs are bleaching. Fish stocks are collapsing. Acidification and deoxygenation are altering ocean chemistry faster than ecosystems can adapt. The ocean’s ability to regulate our climate is beginning to fray, and the decisions we make today are defining what has a fighting chance to rebound and thrive.

That’s why more than 190 countries have committed to the 30x30 goal: protecting at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. But while political commitments have grown, implementation still lags dangerously behind. Only 8.3% of the ocean is currently designated as protected, with merely 2.8% effectively managed. The gap is real. So is the opportunity. 

Today we have better tools than ever: vessel satellite tracking, environmental DNA (eDNA) that detects species by analyzing genetic material found in seawater and other environments, deep-sea submersibles, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Science and data can now guide us on where to protect more, and how to protect better.

How Science and Local Knowledge Are Shaping Ocean Protection

At the Bezos Earth Fund, we support a four-phased approach to marine protection. It begins with science and planning to identify the places of highest biodiversity value: the migratory corridors, and the spawning grounds that serve as marine nurseries. Then comes legal designation, anchoring that knowledge in formal frameworks that transcend political cycles. Enforcement follows – not just coast guard vessels, but community rangers, drone surveillance, and satellite monitoring. And finally, sustainable finance. Protections must last beyond the life of a grant. They must be as enduring as the ecosystems they safeguard.

The Eastern Tropical Pacific shows what’s possible when countries align science, policy, and enforcement. Since 2021, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador have expanded marine protected areas by 275%, safeguarding nearly 148 million acres (more than 60 million hectares)of ocean.

I think back to that whale shark I encountered off Gorgona. Today we know these magnificent giants travel thousands of miles, across waters governed by different nations, following ancient migration routes that connect distant feeding and breeding grounds. No single country can protect them alone. Connectivity between marine protected areas is a baseline requirement for effective ocean conservation.

Across this region, we’ve committed $40 million to protect the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor, working with 24 partners to deliver lasting conservation across one of the most biodiverse seascapes on Earth. Partners like MigraMar are tracking hammerhead sharks as they move across national boundaries. The alliance of organizations led by Charles Darwin Foundation is mapping seamount ecosystems – underwater mountains that rise from the seafloor – that harbor species still unknown to science. Re:wild is helping to stitch these efforts together into a single transnational marine biosphere reserve. 

This level of protection is only possible with enduring support. Through the Connect to Protect Eastern Tropical Pacific Coalition, more than $165 million in public and private funds have been pledged to safeguard the Eastern Tropical Marine Corridor. The coalition, composed of governments, NGOs, multilateral agencies, and philanthropic institutions including the Bezos Earth Fund, provides technical assistance, long-term financing, and collaborative governance tools. And in Ecuador, a $1.6 billion debt-for-nature swap is channeling $450 million toward conservation of the Galápagos Marine Reserve, securing enduring protection for one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems.

Pacific Island Nations Are Leading a Global Ocean Vision

A similar vision is unfolding across the vast Blue Pacific Continent, where 22 island nations and territories are designing the world’s largest ocean conservation initiative. Their strategy, “Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity,” is rooted in regional coordination and ocean stewardship that recognizes traditional governance as the foundation for modern conservation. The Earth Fund has committed to invest  $100 million to support this vision – moving at the speed of trust, supporting the priorities Pacific leaders have defined for themselves. 

That means supporting community-led marine protection, advancing science-based marine spatial planning, and promoting sustainable fisheries.  It also means recognizing that traditional governance systems – like iqoliqoli in Fiji or rahui in Polynesia – have long served to manage resources sustainably, protecting ecosystems through culturally rooted conservation laws.

Why Protecting the High Seas Is a Global Responsibility

No matter how strong our local protections are, they will not be complete without addressing the High Seas, which represent the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction. 

Until recently, there was no legal pathway to protect these waters where bluefin tuna, leatherback turtles, and hammerhead sharks, spend much of their lives. Countries generally have sovereign rights out to 200 nautical miles from shore – beyond that lie the High Seas, which fall under international jurisdiction. The adoption of the High Seas Treaty creates the first framework to safeguard biodiversity in international waters. We're supporting efforts to ensure this treaty is ratified so that migratory species are protected throughout their range, not just in the territorial waters of individual countries.

We also support coastal ecosystems like mangroves, which serve as nurseries for marine life, buffers against storms, and powerful carbon sinks. Through our partnership with the Global Mangrove Alliance, we are helping local organizations scale restoration in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. In Tavua, Fiji, villagers have led mangrove planting efforts to stabilize shorelines – reducing erosion and protecting homes from storm surge – while restoring fish habitats. Combining traditional knowledge with scientific insight, their work is a model for what it looks like to integrate local leadership into durable, nature-based solutions.

None of this is easy. 30x30 is a bold goal, and we will not reach it through declarations alone. We will reach it by building coalitions with local partners who understand their waters intimately. By investing in enforcement technologies and scientific capacity. By securing durable finance that makes conservation economically viable. By putting Indigenous and local communities at the heart of ocean governance, recognizing their knowledge as essential to effective protection.

Because 30% is not just a number. It is a threshold. Ecological research shows that protecting 30% of marine ecosystems can maintain biodiversity, preserve ecosystem services, and sustain fisheries that feed billions of people. The difference between reaching this threshold or not will define what future generations inherit.

The Path Forward Requires Local Action and Global Commitment

Climate change and biodiversity loss are symptoms of the same crisis: treating nature as a limitless commodity. When we protect marine ecosystems, we strengthen our planet's capacity to absorb carbon while preserving the intricate food webs that evolution has woven over millions of years. The ocean has shown us what's possible when protection is guided by both scientific knowledge and community care.

Whether you live on a Pacific island or in the heart of a continent, every breath you take carries oxygen generated by marine phytoplankton. Many of the storms that shape our weather trace their energy to ocean currents older than civilization. The ocean is not separate from us. It is the foundation that makes all life possible.

The choices we make today will determine whether future generations inherit a world where whale sharks still glide through pristine waters, where coral reefs pulse with life, and where coastal communities thrive alongside the intact marine ecosystems that sustain us all. The path forward is clear: protect what remains, restore what's been lost, and act together at the speed of trust.