As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect upon and celebrate key advancements in establishing and managing large-scale marine protected areas worldwide. Here are some significant highlights:
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Join us in this How to Save an Ocean episode with Pelika Andrade, the founder and Executive Director of Nā Maka Onaona, a Hawaiʻi-based non-profit, and an extension agent for the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program. She has a long history working with Hawaiʻi communities as a community member, hoaʻāina (friend of the land), and researcher.
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We are excited to announce the latest expansion of our network with the addition of two member sites: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park and Christmas Island Marine Park. These marine sanctuaries signify a shared commitment to conserving marine biodiversity and protecting our oceans for generations to come.
Read MoreDan Kinzer founded Pacific Blue Studios, a network of high-impact, community-driven, place-based, and youth-powered studios. The network's shared aim is to leverage biomimicry, indigenous perspective, and cutting-edge technologies as vehicles to grow, connect, and amplify a (k)new intergenerational learning ecosystem––to help realize a resilient, regenerative and inclusive future in Hawai'i around the Pacific and across our Blue Planet.
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Big Ocean knows that best-practice stewarding of our oceans, at any scale, requires the participation of rights holders, stakeholders, and relevant communities. Two papers are featured here, documenting the importance of marine management and conservation in the hands of local communities, Indigenous peoples, and ocean defenders; the articles advocate for holistic approaches and provide recommendations to support these systems.
Read MoreBonnie Kahapea is an educator, mentor, voyager, and community advocate.
While at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Bonnieʻs passion for voyaging was ignited. She witnessed the Hōkūleʻa preparing for a voyage to Tahiti – and the pull of the ocean was undeniable. While pursuing her master's degree in transformative learning and change, Bonnie remained connected to her roots and "stayed close to the canoe."
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On 2 February 2023, Big Ocean hosted its 10th in-person network meeting in Vancouver, the day before the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5) started. After opening cultural protocol and introductions, invited managers presented on their respective sites.
Read MoreKelsey Leonard is the first Native American woman to earn a science degree from the University of Oxford, which she earned in 2012. She earned an MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management from St. Cross College, one of the thirty-eight c olleges of the University of Oxford. Her master's thesis, “Water Quality For Native Nations: Achieving A Trust Responsibility”, discusses water quality regulation and how water resources on tribal land are not protected.
Read MoreMarcus Eriksen is the co-founder of Leap Lab, as well as the Research Director and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute. He studies the global distribution and ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution, which has included expeditions sailing through all 5 subtropical gyres, Bay of Bengal, Southern Ocean and inland lakes and rivers, recently publishing the first global estimate of all plastic of all sizes floating in the world’s oceans, totaling 270,000 metric tons from 5.25 trillion particles.
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Filmed during the Ocean Managers XChange and launched at IMPAC5, the new short film, Our Big Ocean amplifies the voices of managers and practitioners working on the frontlines of marine conservation to simultaneously protect vital ocean ecosystems and the communities whose physical and spiritual sustenance it intrinsically tied to them.
Read MoreAs founder of Salted Logic, an indigenous, women-owned multi-media collective, Naiʻa leverages twenty-five years of experience in the public and private sectors to help clients reach their goals. She uses innovative media, high-impact communication products, culturally-driven design, coaching, and resilient partnerships to achieve project objectives parallel to building resilient communities and durable intergenerational learning systems.
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Last week, Big Ocean and the Blue Nature Alliance hosted the 2022 Ocean Manager’s XCHANGE at Camp Mokulē'ia on the North Shore of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. The convening brought together 36 marine managers and practitioners from 17 countries working to collectively protect more than 8 million square kilometers of ocean.
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