Photo of the day

Successfully designating marine protected areas (MPAs) in at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 — a goal commonly referred to as 30x30 — would provide safe haven for many marine species, from scaly Galápagos marine iguanas, to swaying seagrass beds in The Bahamas, to critically endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks like the ones in today’s photo. Not only that, but 30x30 can promote the resilience of ocean habitats, or the ability of an ecosystem to bounce back from a stressful event and still provide its service. With an MPA, we take away the human-induced pressures from the ocean habitat so that when things like warming or acidification events happen, they are much easier for marine life to cope with. This allows damaged areas to recover, and also preserves intact, pristine ecosystems that are more resistant to climate change and can help repopulate the rest of the ocean in the future. Momentum is building in our campaign in partnership with SeaLegacy and PADI to urge world leaders to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, with nearly 30,000 signatures from supporters to date 🙌 🌊