ProtectedSeas Navigator - a commitment to biennial reports of ocean protection status
ProtectedSeas
(
Philanthropic organization
)
#OceanAction57860
Description
ProtectedSeas commits to supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 (Life Below Water) by producing biennial reports on global ocean protection status, leveraging data compiled through the ProtectedSeas Navigator. This commitment aims to enhance transparency and effectiveness in marine conservation worldwide by regularly assessing and publicly disseminating detailed regulatory information on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Marine Managed Areas (MMAs), and Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs).
Navigator uniquely consolidates complex, often inaccessible regulatory information into an interactive global map available via an open online platform and ESRI cloud services. While spatial boundaries are widely documented, detailed regulations and management plans often require extensive research and specialized knowledge of national frameworks. Navigator addresses this critical gap, providing clear, accessible summaries of regulations specific to each designated area, particularly concerning restrictions on fishing and resource extraction.
Central to this biennial reporting commitment is Navigator’s “Level of Fishing Protection” score, which measures the stringency of regulations limiting resource extraction in marine areas. This scoring system enables stakeholders, including governments, researchers, NGOs, and community leaders, to transparently track regulatory progress, identify conservation gaps, and prioritize actions needed to achieve global marine conservation targets.
Navigator is continuously updated to reflect new MPAs, MMAs, and evolving regulatory frameworks, ensuring the biennial reports remain current and relevant. The dataset is also expanded regularly to incorporate additional marine management frameworks, such as Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) and OECMs, further enhancing the comprehensiveness and utility of these reports.
Initial analyses using Navigator data revealed significant gaps in ocean protection: while approximately 8% of global ocean areas are designated as MPAs, only 3.4% are highly protected from fishing activities, and merely 1.2% of areas beyond national jurisdiction achieve this high protection level. Through biennial reports, ProtectedSeas commits to delivering clear, actionable insights into global ocean protection status, highlighting regulatory advancements, identifying persistent challenges, and guiding international and regional conservation efforts towards achieving the global 30x30 initiative and related SDG targets.
California MPA Collaborative - (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservacion (CBMC) (Scientific community)
Deckee (Private sector)
EMH Systems (Private sector)
Esri (Private sector)
Global Fishing Watch (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
Hartis (Private sector)
Hub Ocean Data (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
LINGO (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
Marine Biodiversity Observation Network MBON (Scientific community)
Mission Blue (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
NOAA MPA Center - US federal government (lead entity) (Government)
OceanMind (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
savvy navvy (Private sector)
University of British Columbia’s Sea Around Us (Academic institution)
SkyTruth (Non-governmental organization (NGO))
University of California at Santa Barbara’s SeaSketch (Academic institution)
SDGS & Targets
Goal 14
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
14.1
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.1.1
(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.2.1
Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
14.3
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
14.3.1
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
14.4.1
14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
14.5.1
14.6
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
14.6.1
Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
14.7
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
14.7.1
Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries
14.a
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
14.a.1
14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
14.b.1
Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries
14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"
14.c.1
Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 14.2 | By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans |
| 14.4 | By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics |
| 14.5 | By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information |
| 14.c | Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want" |
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Share
Timeline
Entity
SDGs
Other beneficiaries
Ocean Basins
Communities of Ocean Action
More information
Countries
Headquarters
Contact Information
Claire, Staff Attorney