Abstract
<h2>Summary</h2> Despite global policy commitments to preserve Earth's marine biodiversity, many species are in a state of decline. Using data on 22,885 marine species, we identify 8.5 million km<sup>2</sup> of priority areas that complement existing areas of conservation and biodiversity importance. New conservation priorities are found in over half (56%) of all coastal nations, including key priority regions in the northwest Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. We identify where different conservation actions, ranging from marine protected areas to broader policy approaches, might best overcome anthropogenic threats to these areas. This analysis shows 26%–41% of the ocean (depending on targets used for species representation) needs to be effectively managed and conserved through a combination of site-based actions and broad policy responses to achieve global conservation and sustainable development agendas.
Highlights
Current Species Coverage Using data on the global distribution of marine protected areas (MPAs), we find that twothirds of species (n = 15,149) meet a target of >10% range coverage by PAs (10% is the total ocean area that nations have committed to protecting under the Convention on Biological Diversity; Figure 1A).[26]
We show that effective conservation of an additional 8.5 million km2—alongside improved management of existing MPAs, and proactive conservation of key biodiversity areas (KBAs) and marine wilderness—could achieve a minimum representation target of 10% for all mapped marine species
We are unable to quantify the proportion of priority areas that require conserving through site-based approaches (i.e., PAs and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs)) versus broad-scale policy responses
Summary
We identify 8.5 million km[2] of new conservation priority areas and show that at least 26% of the ocean needs effective conservation to preserve marine biodiversity. With a post2020 global biodiversity agreement currently under development, our analysis demonstrates the overall scale of conservation action required and helps identify areas on which local and regional conservation efforts should focus. D At least 26% of the ocean needs conservation to preserve marine biodiversity d Suitable conservation actions range from protected areas to broad-scale policies d We demonstrate the scale of action required in future global conservation frameworks. With a post-2020 global biodiversity agreement currently under development, our analysis provides insights into the scale of conservation action required across the marine realm and identifies new areas that clearly warrant conservation attention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
