Investing smarter and deeper to advance equity in high-stakes coastal locations in the Global South - Communications Sustainability Coastal and marine projects in the Global South can exacerbate existing contextual inequities, particularly in high-stakes locations found across all ocean basins and identified using current investme...

The work is a product of the Blue Justice working group, an international partnership spanning WCS, IUCN, WWF, CNRS, and many others.

🌏 www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Researchers found that high-stakes conditions, where large investments meet deep existing inequities, exist across every ocean basin.

Another, co-authored by WCS’s @stacyjupiter.bsky.social, assessed more than 35,000 coastal and marine projects across 84 countries and found that only 27% explicitly considered equity.

Patterns of marine resource conflicts across Africa highlight need for fair access and benefit sharing for a blue economy An increased focus on the blue economy across coastal African countries requires effective strategies for reducing marine resource conflicts to achiev…

Notably, 28% of these conflicts didn’t involve fisheries at all – highlighting how ports, tourism, aquaculture, and coastal development are all increasingly competing for space along our coasts.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🌍

A new study co-authored by WCS’s Dr. Tim McClanahan mapped over 1,000 marine resource conflicts across 34 African countries, finding that nearly 3/4 were tied to disputes over access to ocean spaces and resources.

Two new pieces of ocean science, co-authored by WCS, reveal more about what it takes to build truly equitable and sustainable ocean economies.

These Whales Live, and Sing, Near New York Harbor in Spring

New research, based on vocalizations from sei whales recorded by acoustic monitors, reveals the New York Bight is a key spring habitat for Endangered sei whales. “Right about now,” WCS’s Dr. Howard Rosenbaum tells @nytimes.com.

🌎 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/n...

A crowded port in Aceh, Indonesia. Photo (c) Fachruddin / WCS

**HOT OFF THE PRESS** New paper highlighting gaps where high levels of development assistance paired with high levels of contextual inequity present risks for implementing marine conservation if it is not carefully designed and implemented. Access here:
www.nature.com/articles/s44...

#BlueJustice

**Sound the alarm for MPAs**

New study finds 73% of the world’s ocean protected areas are polluted by sewage. Pollution management needs to be part of the solution for managing our seas, says @wcs.org's Dr. Amelia Wenger.

Find out more info here: newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...

Sei Whales Take Their Spring Break in Waters Off NY and NJ A sei whale female adult and calf are pictured here. Sei whales in the Northwest Atlantic migrate along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada, heading south during winter and north during...

It's Spring Break time for endangered sei whales in the New York Bight!

Find out what @wcs.org scientists, including lead author Maria Papadopoulos, have learned regarding sei whale behavior using the latest passive acoustic monitoring technology: newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...

Co-Managing Biodiversity in Madagascar | Blog | Nature | PBS This piece comes to us from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). To honor Women's History Month, WCS and Nature are sharing stories of nature and

Always wonderful to be able to highlight the hard work and dedication of our field staff during #WomensHistoryMonth. See a new blog from Ravaka Ranaivoson of @wcs.org describing her tenacity in implementing marine conservation in Madagascar: www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/...

Women Ocean Guardians Initiative Gained Momentum at UN Event Hosted by Germany GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (March 31, 2026) — Colombia signed the Women Ocean Guardians Commitment at a high-level event at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, becoming the eighth government to pledge action o...

The Women Ocean Guardian Initiative has rapidly grown into a global movement to place women at the forefront of marine protection and sustainable ocean economies.

It gained momentum at recent UN event hosted by Germany. bit.ly/4bVAYvN

We are happy to share the "Socioeconomic and Baseline Report on Pemba East".

This study provides the evidence base needed to gazette two new Marine Conservation Areas (MCAs) through a mix of innovative and traditional science.

Full report: zenodo.org/records/1906... @blueactionfund.org @wcs.org

Capacity Development Determines the Future of Ocean Protection Lihla Noori, Blue Nature Alliance, explains why investing in people and systems is critical to achieving 30x30 equitably and effectively.

Capacity development is absolutely critical to ensure ocean protections are effective. Read this new blog from Lihla Noori through #TogetherForTheOcean to find out more: for-the-ocean.org/why-capacity...

Tomorrow: join us for the CMS webinar on health and migratory species! 🦍🩺

Learn why wildlife health is vital for conservation, what this means for migratory species, and how it connects to wider One Health efforts as we look ahead to #CMSCOP15.

Register: www.cms.int/webinar-health

With @wcs.org

Lights. Camera. Take Action. 🎬 🌎

Tickets for our 2026 REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival are on sale.

Juried screenings begin Thursday, April 23, at the AMC Lincoln Square 13 and run to Sunday, April 26, including a special presentation of Disneynature’s Orangutan.

Learn more: www.reelwild.org

** Opportunity to contribute to a special issue of PARKS on Marine Protected & Conserved Areas, to launch at IMPAC6 in Senegal **

To have ideas for a paper considered, fill out the Expression of Interest by 15 April 2026: docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ab9...

Celebrating the thousands of women who work for @wcs.org who have devoted their careers to conservation, in a myriad of ways, for the planet and its people. I particularly salute our dedicated marine teams - both globally & in the field. #InternationalWomensDay

From Card Collector to Conservation Career | Blog | Nature | PBS This piece comes to us from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). To honor Black History Month, WCS and Nature are sharing stories of nature and

To honor #BlackHistoryMonth, Ayesha Smith of WCS's Prospect Park Zoo shares her journey. “As a Black keeper in conservation,“ she writes, “I am driven to help others see that there is space for them here too.“

🌎 Read it at PBS Nature: www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/...

While coral reefs face severe threats, overly bleak narratives can undermine action. A group of marine scientists, including from @wcs.org, have published their 100-year visions of sustainable and equitable futures.

🪸 🌏 doi.org/10.1038/s441...

Good News About Sharks The illegal shark trade is a transnational challenge, and so is the solution.

Great news for oceanic white tip sharks. Countries around the world voted to prohibit all commercial trade, the highest level of protection under the #CITES convention, write Juan Carlos Navarro, Cristina Mittermeier & @lukedavid301.bsky.social in @timemagazine.bsky.social:
time.com/7362449/shar...

** PAPER ALERT ** The future of #coralreefs does not have to be doom & gloom. Just out in npj Ocean Sustainability, we imagine coral reef futures offering alternatives aspiring to sustainability and equity for coral reefs. Read the open access paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Governments have made international commitments to equity. However, progress has stalled due to unclear definitions and measures of equity, limited capacity for resource-intensive assessments, and a lack of actionable guidance. Now we have a tool - the #OceanEquityIndex #OEI #BlueJustice

The #OceanEquityIndex enables:
- Screening of funding proposals
- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and tracking progress over time
- Accountability to policy commitments
- Reflection & learning to inform adaptive management
Read the full paper from Nature here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ocean Equity Index: Measuring Equity in Ocean Governance Explore the Ocean Equity Index, a practical tool for assessing equity, inclusion and social impact in ocean initiatives around the world.

Published in Nature today: the Ocean Equity Index (OEI), the first global tool to measure fairness in ocean policies and projects. OEI turns equity from an abstract goal into a measurable standard for ocean decision-making.
The OEI is free and easy to use: oceanequityindex.org

Pleased to be featured in a collection of diverse viewpoints on coral reef restoration in this issue of One Earth. Read the full collection here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mIX8_wvRV...

(1/6) 🌊 ICRS 2026 registrations are OPEN!
Working together to ensure a future for coral reefs - join us next year in New Zealand!
www.icrs2026.nz

So excited that this work is finally out in the world! An example of working with practitioners to develop a mathematical model that can provide insight into the usefulness of management methods for coral reef health in the region.

**NEW PAPER ALERT** Read about the methods behind the development of the new #IUCNCEESP guide on measuring equity in marine conservation in our new paper in #PARKS. Access the paper here: parksjournal.com/wp-content/u...

@nathanjbennett.bsky.social @markandrachuk.bsky.social

“This is one of the greatest days in the history of shark and ray conservation.”

Historic trade protections were adopted at #CITESCOP20 today. The next step is strong implementation on the ground, says WCS’s @lukedavid301.bsky.social. 🌏