Positive News

The United Kingdom increased marine protections in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The expansion adds 166,000 sq. km, bringing the total protected area to 450,000 sq. km, twice the size of the U.K.! This decision safeguards millions of seals, tens of millions of breeding birds, and the largest penguin colony on Earth. 🐧 🦭🧊 | Source: Pew Trusts

Last year, governments around the world achieved a significant milestone in marine protection by finalizing the High Seas Treaty after 20 years of negotiations. Since then, 87 countries have committed to the cause, including recent signatories Tonga, Uruguay, and Zambia. In January, Palau and Chile led the way as the first countries to ratify the treaty. 🐋 🌊

Over 100 new species have been discovered on an underwater mountain near Chile! These never-before-seen species, which include deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters, were discovered at depths of up to 3,530 meters along the 2,900-kilometer Salas y Gómez Ridge, which extends between Chile and Easter Island. 🐠⛰ | Source: Good News Network

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced a new policy requiring that any energy project seeking to build on tribal land must earn the tribe's approval before the plan can move forward. 🌊⚡️ | Source: Inside Climate News

Marking a historic milestone, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, celebrated its first year without elephant poaching in 2023. This achievement has been attributed to nearly a decade of unwavering conservation efforts. 🐘 | Source: Good Good Good

The municipality of Sena, with a population of only 2,500, passed a law to protect 452,639 hectares (1.1 million acres) of Amazon rainforest. The newly protected land represents nearly 8% of the region's forests, substantially expanding conservation coverage to 26% of Bolivia's Pando region. 🌳 | Source: Good News Network

A new study found that the erosion of the Elkhorn Slough river slowed by as much as 80-90% in the sections where sea otters were abundant. Researchers found that this was due to sea otters' voracious appetites for burrowing crabs, which, left unchecked, damage marsh roots and weaken the soil. 🦦 | Source: Mongabay

For decades, mangrove forests around the world have been in severe decline, but the tide is turning. Nowhere is this more clear than in Pakistan, where mangrove growth has increased from 48,331 hectares in 1986 to 143,930 hectares in 2020. Experts attribute this success to prodigious mangrove planting, conservation, and concerted community engagement efforts. 🌱 | Source: Mongabay

The first-ever U.S. Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area has been established in California by three local tribes. This region spans 700 square miles (~1,800 square kilometers) along the Pacific. The Resighini Tribe of the Yurok People, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria plan to build off of existing marine stewardship to manage the area, in an effort to revive traditional knowledge, restore natural abundance, and contribute to the state's goals of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. 🌊 | Source: Mongabay

Mexico announced 20 new protected areas covering nearly 5.7 million acres across 12 states and two coastal areas. These newly protected regions will help conserve the country's rich ecosystems, promote sustainable practices, and protect a vast range of culturally and ecologically important species and habitats. 🌳 | Source: Mongabay