The ocean has long been treated as the world’s forgotten frontier—out of sight, out of mind, and dangerously overused. Yet efforts to reverse decades of neglect are gathering speed. Last week saw the launch of Revive Our Ocean, a new initiative aimed at helping coastal communities create marine protected areas (MPAs) to restore marine life and local economies.
The effort, led by Dynamic Planet with support from National Geographic’s Pristine Seas initiative, comes at a pivotal moment. In 2023, countries agreed to a historic treaty to safeguard ocean biodiversity. But of the 100-plus nations that signed, only 21 have ratified it, with crucial backers like the United States notably absent. With a 2030 deadline looming to protect 30% of the oceans, Revive Our Ocean’s founders argue that waiting for governments alone will not be enough.
“We’ve seen that marine protection works,” says Kristin Rechberger, founder of Dynamic Planet and the driving force behind the initiative. “But the creation of MPAs has been far too slow. To meet 30×30, the world would need over 190,000 new protected areas. That’s why we’re focusing on communities—those who know their waters best.”
Rechberger’s optimism is grounded in experience. Over the past decade, Dynamic Planet and Pristine Seas have supported the creation of 29 of the world’s largest marine reserves, covering nearly seven million square kilometers, mostly in remote waters. Now, attention is shifting closer to shore, where coastal populations live, fish, and depend on healthy seas for their livelihoods.
Revive Our Ocean seeks to equip communities with the tools, policy support, and training needed to establish MPAs. Starting with partners in Britain, Greece, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey, Portugal, and the Philippines, the initiative blends lessons from offshore successes with the realities of coastal life.
Marine protection near coasts faces three major barriers, Rechberger explains: awareness, policy, and know-how. In many countries, local governments lack the authority to create MPAs. Even where rules allow it, communities often lack the expertise or incentives to act. Revive Our Ocean aims to change that by providing practical resources, media campaigns, and policy advocacy—making marine reserves as commonplace as waste management systems or public parks.
The economic argument is strong. A well-designed MPA not only revives marine ecosystems but revitalizes coastal economies. Rechberger points to Spain’s Medes Islands Marine Reserve, a one-square-kilometer no-take zone that generates €16 million annually in tourism revenue, far exceeding nearby fishing income. In Mexico, dive tourism in some areas now rivals the fishing industry in value, suggesting a broader blueprint for prosperity.
Nonetheless, scaling up will be difficult. As Enric Sala, head of Pristine Seas, bluntly told Reuters, “the worst enemy of fishing is overfishing.” Ocean degradation has reached a point where even fishers—once wary of restrictions—are now calling for protections. On Greece’s Amorgos Island, local fishers organized themselves to form a marine reserve after their catches plummeted.
Such community-led initiatives offer hope. They also reveal a deeper shift: growing recognition that conservation and economic growth can go hand in hand. Reviving marine life can revive entire communities.
“It’s thrilling,” says Rechberger. “Protection drives economic benefits across multiple sectors, while restoring the health and beauty of coastal ecosystems.”
Still, the clock is ticking. Only about 8% of the ocean is under some form of protection, and a mere 3% is fully protected. Without accelerated action, the world risks missing the 30×30 target—threatening biodiversity and the economies that depend on it.
Revive Our Ocean’s bet is that by empowering communities and showcasing success stories, marine conservation can catch fire from the ground up.
“We want MPAs to go viral,” says Rechberger.
If they do, the world’s oceans—and those who depend on them—may yet have a chance to thrive.
