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FY24 Blue Nature Alliance Impact Report

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Impact Report

July 2023 – June 2024

The Blue Nature Alliance is an

ambitious global initiative working

to accelerate the pace, scale, and

efectiveness of ocean conservation

through partnership.

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Our Mission

Catalyze efective and equitable large-scale protections

of critical ocean ecosystems for the beneﬁt of nature and

people, thereby accelerating momentum towards the

global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.

Our Goal

Secure the conservation of 5% of the global ocean —

18 million square kilometers — by 2027.

Hammerhead sharks

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

Dear Friends,

We are excited to share with you the Blue Nature Alliance annual

Impact Report, showcasing the eforts of the Alliance and our

talented and dedicated partners around the world. We are

humbled to work alongside so many passionate advocates for

large-scale ocean conservation and pleased to share a part of

their stories with you.

This Impact Report is structured to showcase major milestones

from the past year along what we call the conservation journey.

We recognize that each place where we work is unique, and our

engagement should reﬂect, honor, and respond to the speciﬁc needs

and rights of a place and the people who live and work there. Every

member of the Alliance team commits to showing up with our partners – past,

present, and future – guided by a shared set of values that we believe build trust,

foster innovation, and help us achieve impact. We strive to forge new relationships through the challenges

and successes of this work, and to meet our partners where they are - with intention and gratitude.

This report lifts up stories that show places on their conservation journey; yet over the past several years

the Blue Nature Alliance team has been on a journey of our own. In 2019, we were a small core team of fewer

than 10 individuals who believed that by working together we could help achieve goals that would not be

possible alone. Over the past ﬁve years, we have hewed close to this vision, a vision that the whole can be

greater than the sum of its parts and that how we did our work was just as important as what we sought to

accomplish.

Now, we come to the space of large-scale ocean conservation as a team of more than 40

individuals from around the world who hope to bring tpassion, expertise, optimism, and

commitment to help deliver on an ambitious shared vision for the ocean and people.

Whether that is through providing ﬁnancial resources, technical expertise, convening

agency, facilitation support, or more simply to lend an ear, elevate a voice, or

demonstrate care or empathy in a challenging moment, we seek to be there

for our partners and one another. This has been a journey of growth, learning,

and compassion – compassion for ourselves, and for one another as we face

challenges, surmount obstacles, and celebrate success together.

We know this journey will continue and we take seriously our responsibility for

continued growth and learning. As our colleagues, partners, and friends, we know

that you will continue to inspire us, but we also hope that you will continue to share,

teach, and advise us as the Alliance charts its path forward…a path that we desire to

be guided by shared values with others and a balance of ambition, humility, gratitude,

and passion.

We look forward to continuing this journey with you and to celebrating our collective impact.

With appreciation and respect,

The Blue Nature Alliance Team

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

A Leter from Our Team

Left photo: © Jayne Jenkins / Ocean Image Bank

Right photo: © Hannes Klostermann / Ocean Image Bank

Table of Contents

A Letter from Our Team

Our Values

Impact by the Numbers

Where We Work

Supporting our Partners Along Their

Conservation Journey

Committed

Designation

Implementation

Active Management

Sustainably Financed

Growing the Field of Large-Scale Ocean

Conservation

Our Partners

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Target Reached

Our Values

The Blue Nature Alliance’s partners are

realizing meaningful impact around the world.

Here’s a snapshot of our progress so far:

1,858,000

square kilometers

of ocean under

new or expanded

protections

685,000

square kilometers

of ocean under

upgraded levels of

protection

190,000

square kilometers

of protected ocean

under more efective

management

21.9 million

square kilometers

where we partner

(an area roughly

the size of Canada,

US, and Mexico

combined)

100+

partners collaborating

with the Alliance

161

ocean conservation

areas across

39 engagements

supported around

the world

1,104

people reached

through learning

and capacity

development

opportunities

200+

research and

knowledge products

published

sustainable ﬁnancing

plans or mechanisms

developed to promote

conservation durability

Under implementation

Scoping

Urgency

We are taking bold action to protect our ocean —

the engine of life on our planet — to preserve marine

ecosystems and safeguard livelihoods and cultural

heritage for generations to come.

Partnership

By bringing together the unique contributions and

strengths of our diverse coalition of partners, we can

accomplish more together than we could alone.

Humility

We pledge to create and maintain an environment

that honors diverse traditions and heritages.

We stand behind the work of local conservation

champions, respecting their perspectives,

worldviews, and experiences.

Impact

We seek outcomes with meaningful results that yield

durable beneﬁts for people and nature. These impacts

need to be measurable and shared openly with our

partners and other stakeholders.

Journey

We prioritize tailored approaches that respond

to each site’s speciﬁc challenges, needs,

and goals, while ensuring the highest

levels of ambition. We will adapt

our assumptions and

course-correct to meet

future realities.

Humpback whales

19.18M

km2

6.01M

km2

2.73M

km2

New or Expanded

Upgraded

Strengthened Management

1.86M

km2

685k

km2

190k

km2

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Since July 2023, the Blue Nature Alliance began

engagements in eight new geographies, where we are

supporting partners’ eforts to:

Philippine Rise: Catalyze the creation of

an ofshore large-scale MPA spanning

~150,000 km2 and measurably improve the

management of 10,000 km2 of existing

MPAs by 2026

Mariana Islands: Build a lasting local

constituency of support for the 246,608 km2

Mariana Trench Marine National Monument

Emperor Seamounts: Advocate for the

protection of this 6,000 km long mountain

range in the high seas at risk to the impacts

of bottom trawling

Samoa: Support the Samoan Ocean Strategy

and establish a national network of fully

protected areas covering 30% of Samoa’s

exclusive economic zone by 2025 and engage

communities to incorporate traditional

knowledge and cultural practices into the

management of the new protected area network

Tonga: Designate and implement a national

marine spatial plan for new highly or fully

protected areas covering 30% of Tonga’s

exclusive economic zone - 210,000 km2 –

by 2025 and support communities across

the island to enforce protection of community-

led Special Management Areas

Clipperton Island: Advocate for an expanded

ocean conservation area spanning ~430,000 km2

Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges: Generate

scientiﬁc evidence and garner political support

for a protective ﬁshing closure for a vast

underwater mountain range in the high seas

Dutch Caribbean: Catalyze the creation of

protected areas spanning 34,327 km2 by 2026

Where We Work

The Blue Nature Alliance collaborates with governments, NGOs,

Indigenous peoples, local communities, and scientists around the

world to catalyze the creation, expansion, and improvement of

ocean conservation areas.

Key

National/Multinational

Engagement

New Ocean

Conservation Area

Improved Ocean

Conservation Area

Expanded Ocean

Conservation Area

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Supporting our Partners Along Their

Conservation Journey

Conservation is a journey, one with steps forward, steps back,

and unexpected turns along the way.

The Alliance recognizes that each ocean conservation area is at a unique place on their conservation journey,

and not all conservation measures or outcomes must be the same to be efective. From the earliest stages

of protected area design to well established areas in need of improved enforcement or long-term ﬁnancing

strategies, we prioritize tailored approaches that respond to each site’s speciﬁc challenges, needs, and goals,

while ensuring the highest levels of ambition.

Based on each stage of establishment, we provide partners with a combination of technical expertise, access

to a network of partners, and ﬂexible ﬁnancial resources to meaningfully and measurably advance the site

along its conservation journey.

Committed

Valuing Ocean Resources: Laying the Foundation for

Protections on the High Seas

Last year, the Blue Nature Alliance entered into a partnership with the Coral

Reefs of the High Seas Coalition to catalyze the closure of ﬁshing activities

in the Salas y Gómez and Nazca ridges, a vast underwater mountain range

on the high seas that spans 2,900 kilometers of the coast of Chile and

Peru. In January 2024, a ﬁrst important milestone was achieved when one

of the area’s management authorities, the South Paciﬁc Regional Fisheries

Management Organization (SPRFMO), tasked its Scientiﬁc Committee with

discussing the scientiﬁc ﬁndings of the area and recommending possible

measures, including a ﬁsheries closure at the site.

To help build the scientiﬁc basis for formalized protections, the Coral Reefs

of the High Seas Coalition and others contributed to two expeditions with

support from the Alliance in early 2024 to study the ridges’ previously

unexplored depths. Using underwater vehicles capable of descending more

than 4,500 meters (14,760 feet), the two expeditions uncovered over

150 potential new species, like a bright red toadﬁsh that walks along the

seaﬂoor, ancient corals dating back thousands of years, and translucent

“glass” squids.

Findings from these expeditions will help solidify the case for more robust

conservation measures in the area, including the ﬁshery closure currently

under analysis by the SPRFMO and the development of a formal marine

protected area proposal under the United Nations High Seas Treaty, once it

is ratiﬁed and enters into force.

“There is so much we still

don’t know about these

underwater biodiversity

havens. But one thing we do

know is that what happens

on these seamounts is

directly connected to the

larger ocean ecosystem....

We can’t approach

threats to the high seas as

independent countries,

we must come together

as a global community.”

Dr. Erin E. Easton

Lead Scientist for the Salas y Gómez

and Nazca Ridges Expeditions

Committed

Designation

Implementation

Active

Management

Sustainable

Financing

Valuing Ocean Resources

We support scientists, resource users,

Indigenous knowledge holders, and

local communities to develop and

articulate a meaningful case for

marine protection.

Informing Area Design

We help to apply the best available

science and employ participatory

processes to design, place, and legally

gazette ocean conservation areas.

Standing Up Management

We work with partners to design

equitable and efective governance

systems, build staf capacity, and

develop management plans.

Developing Management Systems

We support governments and local

partners to design and implement

critical management systems,

including monitoring and surveillance

programs, science and research, and

communications and education.

Designing Long-term Financing

Our dedicated conservation ﬁnance

team works with local partners to

develop bespoke long-term ﬁnancing

strategies. In some cases, we leverage

other donors to capitalize the long-

term funding mechanisms.

Constituency Building

We engage local partners and

communications experts to build durable

coalitions of engaged champions. We

work to codify participatory and equitable

governance into management.

A new species of toadﬁsh that uses its ﬁns like hands

to “walk” on the sea ﬂoor

ROV deploys from Research Vessel Falkor (too) at the

beginning of a scientiﬁc dive

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Designation

Dominican Republic Sets Marine Conservation Milestone

In April 2024, the Government of the Dominican Republic announced the

designation of the Jorge Orlando Mera Marine Sanctuary over the Beata Ridge,

and the expansion of the Bancos de La Plata y Navidad Marine Sanctuary,

covering 86,175 km2 of newly protected areas, making it the ﬁrst Caribbean

nation to achieve the 30% protection milestone by 2030. These protected areas

are vital for conserving ofshore benthic ecosystems and endangered migratory

communities of humpback whales, sperm whales, and dolphins.

Working closely with the National Fund for the Environment and Natural

Resources (Fondo MARENA), the Government of the Dominican Republic,

Blue Marine Foundation, Mission Blue, Caribbean Cetacean Society, and

SeaLegacy, the Alliance provided technical and ﬁnancial assistance to support

these designation and expansion processes through stakeholder consultations,

scientiﬁc expeditions, and socio-economic assessments.

With this achievement, the Dominican Republic has established itself as a

regional leader in ocean conservation and set a bold example for other nations in

the Caribbean and around the world to follow.

“ The fact that we’re

expanding our protected

ecosystems is a huge

achievement for the

Dominican Republic...

We are very happy to

have been in contact with

so many allies around

the world who shared

with us their technical

expertise and funded our

priorities of research so

we can ﬁnally reach this

incredible goal to have

protected 30% of our

ocean.”

Expanded Protections in South Georgia and the

South Sandwich Islands

In February 2024, the United Kingdom and the Government of South

Georgia and South Sandwich Islands announced a signiﬁcant expansion

of fully protected areas across the remote expanse of the South Atlantic

Ocean. The region is a haven for wildlife, home to millions of seals of four

diferent species, vulnerable populations of migratory whales, and tens

of millions of breeding birds. The announcement, which came following a

robust campaign organized by our partners at Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy

Project and the Great Blue Ocean Coalition, ensures that crucial corridors

for whale migrations and penguin foraging are fully protected from human

activity in perpetuity.

“ Amid dual threats of

climate change and

biodiversity loss, this is

a pivotal step towards

safeguarding a global

wildlife hotspot. Through

this latest ﬁve-year

review of the MPA,

the government has

demonstrated best

practice in marine

management—applying

new science to protect

crucial migratory corridors

for species such as baleen

whales and toothﬁsh.”

To help build the scientiﬁc basis for increased marine protections in the Dominican Republic, the Ministry of

Environment and Natural Resources, with funding from Blue Nature Alliance and Blue Marine Foundation,

and technical support from the Caribbean Cetacean Society, conducted a series of scientiﬁc expeditions in the

Cordillera Beata.

Humpback whale surfacing near a research vessel

Jonathan Delance

Deputy Minister of Environment,

Dominican Republic Government

Johnny Briggs

Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy

Project leader in the UK

Sovereignty over South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands remains contested by Argentina.

Male southern elephant seals

A colony of king penguins on the Gold Harbor

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

Implementation

Building a Foundation for Chile’s Ofshore

Protected Areas

In recent years, Chile has achieved worldwide recognition

for advancements in the creation of marine protected areas

(MPAs), especially of a large scale, which cover close to

43% of its national waters. Chile now faces the enormous

opportunity and challenge of advancing their efective

implementation and management. For over three years, the

Alliance has joined forces with public agencies in Chile and

partner organizations to address that gap and challenge. Our

partners have made signiﬁcant progress over the last year,

with highlights including:

•

Strengthened inter-institutional coordination and

collaboration of public agencies involved in MPA

management at the national and regional levels;

•

The establishment of a governance body for MPAs in the

Juan Fernández Archipelago;

•

Support for the governance and launch of an Indigenous

consultation process for the Integrated Management Plan

for the Rapa Nui MPAs; and

•

Increased technical capacity for the management of Islas

Diego Ramírez-Paso Drake Marine Park.

There is still much to be done as related to MPAs over the

coming years but, step-by-step, the Government of Chile and

our local partners are making strides towards a healthy future

for the nation’s vast marine territory.

Setting up Governance in the Seychelles

Seychelles, a true oasis of marine life within the Western Indian Ocean, has proved to be one of the world’s most

environmentally conscious nations with great ambition for ocean governance – the country has conserved more than half of

its total land area, established marine protected areas in 30% of its EEZ, and become the fourth nation to ratify the United

Nations High Seas Treaty in April 2024. In 2015, Seychelles participated in a large, innovative debt-swap strategy that was

publicly lauded as the world’s ﬁrst ocean-focused debt-for-nature swap.

As one of the Blue Nature Alliance’s very ﬁrst site engagements, we have been working closely with the Seychelles Climate

Change Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) and the Seychelles Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change

and Environment (MACCE) for over four years to secure and strengthen this legacy with

dedicated ﬁnance, set up legal ocean governance authorities, and measurably improve the

management of the 441,513 km2 national MPA network.

At the national level, SeyCCAT has worked with the MACCE to secure the

establishment and operation of the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Unit with

the legal mandate to manage and implement MPAs. With almost the whole

team now recruited, the MSP Unit has already begun work to standardize

management plans across the Seychelles’ network of existing and new MPAs

and coordinate the Management Committee.

The Alliance is conﬁdent that the Seychelles’ network of protected areas

has been measurably improved, and SeyCCAT and MACCE are positioned

to continue realizing positive impact on ocean governance and sustainable

blue prosperity

in Seychelles.

Costa Rica Announces Cocos Island

National Park Management Plan

The Blue Nature Alliance is supporting the Friends

of Cocos Island Foundation (FAICO) to improve

the management of two recently expanded

MPAs: the Cocos Island National Park and the

Bicentennial Marine Management Area. In June

2024, a signiﬁcant milestone was achieved when

the President of Costa Rica approved the new

management plan for Cocos Island National Park, an

area of ocean spanning 54,844 km2. The Alliance and

our partners will continue to provide support for the

government to ﬁnalize the management plan for the

106,285 km2 Bicentennial Marine Management Area by

the end of 2024.

Top photo:

Spiny Lobsters near Alejandro Selkirk Island

Bottom photo:

Rapa Nui MPA Steering Council

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Left photo:

Anse Sous d’Argent, Seychelles

Right photo:

Scalloped hammerhead sharks

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

“ For the Kanak people of New Caledonia, ocean conservation

is life. We have a duty to incorporate their voices in decisions

that afect the future of their resources.”

Aïle Tikoure

Customary Authority Referent for Drubea-Kapumë Area,

Natural Park of the Coral Sea, New Caledonia

Active Management

Illegal Cargo Seized in Panama’s Protected Waters

In late September 2023, authorities in Panama apprehended a

vessel engaged in illegal ﬁshing in the Cordillera de Coiba Managed

Resource Area, a protected underwater mountain range home

to unique geological formations, deep sea trenches, and rich

biodiversity. The operation seized over 226 individual marine

species and 602 shark ﬁns, marking a signiﬁcant win in the ﬁght

against illegal ﬁshing and the illicit shark ﬁn trade.

This event marks the third arrest in the area following a series

of enforcement improvements supported by Alliance partners—

WildAid, Skylight, and MigraMar — speciﬁcally, the application

of new technologies to identify suspicious vessel behavior, alert

authorities, and take enforcement and compliance action.

Efective enforcement and monitoring are integral to

securing the biological beneﬁts of MPAs.

Enforcement — through regulations, policies,

satellite technologies, and patrols — allows

MPAs to serve as sanctuaries, where

prohibited harmful activities like ﬁshing

and habitat degradation are minimized

or eliminated, allowing marine life to ﬂourish.

Mountainous coastline of New Caledonia

Indigenous Vision Leads to New Protections within the Natural Park

of the Coral Sea

In October 2023, the Government of New Caledonia declared the expansion of

protected area coverage for the Natural Park of the Coral Sea by 100,000 km2, thereby

reaching a major milestone of highly protecting 10% its exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

just in time for the park’s 10th anniversary next year. In addition, New Caledonia is

close to passing a bill that would establish a 10-year moratorium on deep sea mineral

resource exploration and exploitation across its entire ocean territory.

Signiﬁcantly, these new protections are among the ﬁrst to legally incorporate the

Indigenous Kanak people’s vision for the ocean and formalize their position as legitimate

rights-holders with a leading voice in management decision-making. Following their

holistic and trans-generational approach to conservation, Kanak leaders have expressed

their support for strengthened protections, with special attention placed on the

seamounts, seabed, maritime corridors, and culturally important species.

In partnership with the Kanak Customary Senate of New Caledonia, the Kanak

Customary Authorities College, and Conservation International-New Caledonia,

the Blue Nature Alliance is working to increase Kanak leadership and ensure that their

traditional interests are enshrined in future marine governance and management.

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Whale shark swimming near Coiba Island, Panama

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

Sustainably Financed

Recognition for Niue’s Historic Initiative to Finance

Ocean Protection

At New York Climate Week in September 2023, the Government and

people of Niue launched a ﬁrst-of-its-kind approach to ﬁnancing

the conservation of its sovereign waters: Ocean Conservation

Commitments (OCCs). By sponsoring OCCs, anyone

from individuals to corporations to foundations can

help support the protection and management of

a square kilometer of Niue’s ocean territory for

at least 20 years. With our contributions to

the design of this Niue-driven approach and

early commitment to sponsor OCCs, the Blue

Nature Alliance is proud to be a part of the

rising tide of support for this momentous

marine conservation efort.

Since the announcement, recognition for

Niue’s role as a global ocean conservation

leader has spread far and wide. In May, Niue

was named winner of the Nature category in

Fast Company’s prestigious World Changing

Ideas Awards and, in June, a documentary ﬁlm

titled “Protecting Paradise: The Story of Niue”

created by our partners at National Geographic

Pristine Seas premiered on Disney+ to great acclaim.

Eddy Adra

CEO, Coast Funds

Government ofcials and early sponsors are joined by Hon. Dalton Tagelagi, Premier of Niue, and Jacinda Ardern,

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, at a celebratory launch event in New York

“ We all feel like salt

water runs through

our veins. The ocean is

the life force that made

us, and made Niue.

We owe our existence

to the ocean and

that’s why we ﬁght to

protect it.”

Coral Pasisi

President of Toﬁa Niue

JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024

Top left photo:

Banded sea snake

Top right photo:

Snorkelers exploring Niue’s coast

BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE IMPACT REPORT

First Nations of the North Paciﬁc Coast Celebrate

Conservation Milestone

Covering two-thirds of the coast of British Columbia, the Great Bear Sea (also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion) is one

of the most environmentally and culturally signiﬁcant cold-water environments in the world. Today, overﬁshing, habitat

loss, increased shipping trafc, and climate change are having an impact on the Great Bear Sea and contributing

to declines in ﬁsh, bird, and shellﬁsh populations, and threatening a careful balance that First Nations have

maintained for millennia.

To help address these challenges, 17 First Nations led the groundbreaking work of establishing the Great Bear

Sea Project Finance for Permanence (PFP), a collaborative initiative to ﬁnance the lasting protection of 10

million hectares of culturally and environmentally signiﬁcant ocean. In June 2024, the PFP initiative closed

with a total of $335 million secured ($200 million from the Government of Canada, $60 million from the

Province of British Columbia, and $75 million from philanthropic investors), ensuring access to durable,

long-term funding to care for the Great Bear Sea and support sustainable economic development along the

coast. Coast Funds, an Indigenous-led conservation ﬁnance organization and Blue Nature Alliance partner,

will manage these funds on behalf of the participating First Nations.

“[Canada’s] First Nations are extending

a successful model of collaborative

stewardship, backed by durable

conservation ﬁnancing, from the

rainforest to the sea. We look forward

to continue working closely with

First Nations, supporting them to

invest in their community prosperity

and marine stewardship programs

which, in turn, will strengthen coastal

communities and economies.”

Haida Gwaii, British Columbia

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