Blue Parks: Accelerating Effective Ocean Conservation

Presented by: Sarah Hameed, Jessica MacCarthy, and Leticia de Bonilla of the Marine Conservation Institute; Ratana Chuenpagdee of Memorial University of Newfoundland; Rodolphe Devillers of the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD); and Maylin Mora Arias and Yareth Ledezma of Cahuita National Park Date/Time: Wednesday, July 15, Noon US EDT/9am US PDT/10 am CST/4 pm UTC/5 pm BST/6 pm CEST Description: The Blue Park Standard sets a global benchmark for what effective marine protection requires: strategic design, equitable governance, strong protection, evidence-based management, compliance, and capacity. The reality is that most marine protected areas (MPAs) fall short of that bar. Blue Parks is a global initiative working to improve conservation quality alongside quantity, building a representative, connected network of protection that revitalizes ecosystems and recovers wildlife. The Blue Park Awards uses the Standard to encourage decision-makers to raise the bar, while celebrating and elevating successful conservation efforts worldwide. Join Marine Conservation Institute, members of the Blue Parks Science Council, and awarded Blue Park managers for an in-depth discussion of how this initiative is driving meaningful progress toward strategically protecting at least 30% of the ocean. Hosted by: OCTO