Oceans & Coasts
"The ocean has absorbed 90% of the heat we've added. Time to give it back."
Oceans regulate climate, feed 3 billion people and shelter coasts from storms. Warming, acidification and overfishing are dismantling marine food webs — but marine protected areas and blue-carbon ecosystems recover fast when we let them.
90%
of excess heat absorbed by oceans
NASA
8.4%
of oceans currently protected
Protected Planet 2024
50%
of coral reefs lost since 1950
Nature 2021
Milestones we're chasing
30x30 for oceans
Protect 30% of marine areas, effectively managed and equitably governed.
End overfishing
Rebuild fish stocks and phase out harmful subsidies (WTO agreement).
Restore 30% of degraded coasts
Living shorelines — mangroves, seagrass, reefs — protect >1B people.
Levers that move the needle
Take an action →Ratify the High Seas Treaty
Legal framework for MPAs beyond national waters — unlocks 60% of the ocean.
Blue-carbon ecosystems
Mangroves store carbon 4× faster per hectare than tropical forests.
Cut single-use plastic
11M tonnes reach oceans each year — most from land.
Ban destructive fishing
Bottom trawling emits ~1Gt CO₂ per year — comparable to aviation.
Signals of progress
- ↗High Seas Treaty adopted (2023)
- ↗Mangrove loss slowed 44% globally
Warning lights
- ↘4th global coral bleaching event underway
- ↘Ocean heatwaves at record duration
Live actions in this area
Time-bound campaigns you can join, sign, fund or lead right now.
No live actions in this area yet.
Organizations working here
NGOs, startups, cities, research labs and funders driving this area forward.
No organizations listed for this scope yet — be the first.
Your contribution
Small and big actions compound into short- and long-term impact. Find your seat — as an individual, a community, or an industry player.
What one person, household or citizen can do this week.
Choose MSC / ASC seafood
Individuals · Weekly
Neighborhoods, restaurants, schools and cities acting together.
- More community actions coming soon.
Companies, investors, funders and governments moving markets and policy.
Adopt a plastic-free ops policy
Companies · 1 quarter
Co-fund a mangrove nursery
Funders · 1 grant cycle
Resources & tools
Data
- Protected Planet MPA atlas
Policy
- Ocean Panel action agenda
Map
- Global Mangrove Watch
Get involved in Oceans & Coasts
Take a time-bound action, register your organization or start a collaboration in this area.