WEBVTT

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Whether we live on the coast or far
inland, we all need a healthy ocean.

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But along with our climate,
the ocean is rapidly changing.

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It’s getting warmer, more acidic, and is losing
oxygen. All that is hurting wildlife, ecosystems,

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and the livelihoods of millions
of people around the globe.

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We all know about the need
to fight the climate crisis,

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but many don’t know just how important
the ocean is in the solution.

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The International Union for the
Conservation of Nature, or IUCN,

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has clearly stated that a healthy ocean can
play a key role in reducing atmospheric carbon.

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Carbon that is captured and stored in our
marine systems is called “blue carbon.”

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Carbon is captured by algae,
plankton, and habitats like mangroves,

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salt marshes, sea grasses, and kelp. This
“living carbon” is stored in vegetation

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or moves through the food chain, and when
it dies, it can be stored in sediments on

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the seafloor. Some habitats also trap
sediment and the carbon it contains.

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Storing carbon in sediments removes it from the

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atmosphere and holds it for as
long as it remains undisturbed.

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Marine protected areas are essential
safeguards for these blue carbon habitats

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and all the other benefits ocean and coastal
ecosystems provide, including storm protection,

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erosion control, food production, and
jobs that support recreation and tourism.

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There is a global movement to significantly expand

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the extent of marine protected areas
to at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.

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At a UN Climate Conference in 2019, a
global alliance of government agencies

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and science experts formed an international
partnership to exchange knowledge and expertise

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on marine protected areas, biodiversity,
and climate change, and advance the role

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of marine protected areas globally.
By engaging national leaders and local

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stakeholders, they aim to show how marine
protected area networks can simultaneously

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conserve biodiversity and help reach climate
change mitigation and adaptation targets,

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creating a better future for the
ocean and nations around the world.

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We must reduce carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere now,

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and do all we can to expand
the role that the ocean plays.

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Right now, we have an unparalleled
opportunity to address the linked

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crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

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We are calling on the global community
to recognize the essential role that

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marine protected areas play in providing
natural solutions to our climate crisis

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and the countless benefits that a
healthy ocean provides to all of us.

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Let’s harness the healing
power of marine protected areas

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in the fight to control and
adapt to climate change.