Spotlight News

Mangroves are multi-taskers in the world of ocean wealth. In addition to providing habitat for both artisanal and commercially-fished species, sequestering carbon, and bolstering tourism, mangroves are essential for protecting coastal communities from the effects of climate change in many parts of the world. The aerial roots of mangroves retain…

**March 2018 UPDATE – The Caribbean Restoration Explorer now lives on a standalone, Caribbean-focused site: http://maps.coastalresilience.org/caribbean/   Links below have been updated to reflect the new location** The Caribbean team has developed new web-based tools that can be used to prioritize coral and mangrove restoration sites based on the ecosystem services these…

The importance of mangrove forests – for food, carbon storage and sequestration, coastal protection, and even tourism and water purification – is widely acknowledged. So much so that there is an increasing drive not only to halt further losses, but to increase mangroves through restoration.

Review. Model. Map. Those are the stages that Mapping Ocean Wealth uses to build an understanding of various ecosystem services. In the review phase, scientists conduct a detailed and systematic exploration of field data, expert literature and knowledge to fully understand and accurately describe the value of an ecosystem service.…

Piggybacking on the success of a similar project in Micronesia, the MOW team in the Caribbean recently completed a project to model coral reef fish production in the Bahamas.  The ability for coral reefs to produce and maintain fish stocks has implications for overall ecosystem health, as well as the…

The Mapping Ocean Wealth Initiative is the winner of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)’s 2017 Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award.  The WTTC is dedicated to promoting awareness of the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the economy, while promoting market expansion in harmony with the environment.  The Tourism for Tomorrow…

Coral reefs are the poster child of nature-based tourism. Many visitors come specifically to visit the reefs themselves, to swim over shimmering gardens of coral amongst hordes of fish, but many more are unknowing beneficiaries of the reefs as producers of sand, coastal protection, food and remarkable vistas. These travelers…

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Coastal wetlands are small but mighty.  They provide habitats for a diverse array of species, improve water quality, and play a significant role in protecting coastal communities from the impacts of wave action and storms. But they also provide…

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]   The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced that The Mapping Ocean Wealth Initiative is among the finalists for the 2017 Tourism for Tomorrow…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Contributed by Bryan DeAngelis Oysters are amazing. If you’re like me, and love the cold, salty taste of fresh oysters, know that our desire to consume them…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Contributed by Helen Savidge Mapping Ocean Wealth Picks Up Marine Conservation Across Australia’s Forgotten Coastlines. On the Southern edge of the Australian continent sit beautiful waterscapes, grass…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Throughout the month of June 2016, TNC’s Mapping Ocean Wealth initiative is being featured in Microsoft Windows’ Upgrade Your World campaign. Designed to help global organizations further…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] By Maria Damanaki, Global Managing Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy As the world meets for COP, and country leaders, scientists and NGOs like The Nature…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Contributed by Andrew Frederick Johnson (1), Marcia Moreno-Bàez (2), Andrès Cisneros-Montemayor (3), Alfredo Girón-Nava (1), Alvin Suàrez Castillo(4) and Octavio Aburto Oropeza (1) The value of nature and its contribution to human well…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Contributed by Emily Landis of The Nature Conservancy  Last month, governments, intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society convened at the Conference of the Parties (COP) of…

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row padding_mobile=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” _builder_version=”3.26″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Mapping Ocean Wealth is a new twist on something The Nature Conservancy has done well for 60 years: show people what the world…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Our oceans and coastal habitats produce a variety of benefits for coastal communities. A series of Mapping Ocean Wealth infographics has been produced to help illustrate some…

The following article first appeared in The Cornerstone Journal of Sustainable Finance & Banking. By Maria Damanaki, Global Managing Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy Today, half of the world’s people live in cities. By 2050, three out of four people will be urban citizens. This reality makes smart…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] The Nature Conservancy’s Indonesia marine staff recently completed a rapid ecological assessment (REA) of the Savu Sea Marine National Park, covering about one third of the total…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Barbados, a sovereign island country in the Caribbean, is home to a rich diversity of ocean life and coastal habitats. The coastal region is the country’s largest…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] The Pohnpei State Protected Area Network (PAN) Design Workshop was held in Pohnpei on June 18th-20th, 2014 as the first step in the process of using spatial…

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Main Content” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Contributed by Amanda Wrona Meadows – TNC Mapping Ocean Wealth’s science, conservation and policy staff gathered in Sydney, Australia to attend the World Parks Congress, a once-a-decade…