Marine Conservation Institute is excited to announce the six recipients of the 2024 Blue Parks Small Grants. These grants support projects that enhance marine protected areas (MPAs) and strengthen conservation outcomes. All recipients are members of the Blue Parks Network and are dedicated to preserving critical ocean ecosystems for future generations.
The 2024 Blue Parks Small Grant recipients are:
- Hermandad Marine Reserve (Ecuador): The grant will fund the purchase of four new laptops to support real-time surveillance operations. With these resources, staff will analyze and respond to data on suspicious activities, leading to more effective enforcement and protection of the marine ecosystem.
- Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary (Colombia): Biodiversity Conservation Colombia, which manages the ‘Silky’ initiative for patrols and conservation at Malpelo, will use the grant to purchase essential equipment. This will enhance enforcement monitoring and enable the removal of ghost fishing gear to protect the sanctuary’s biodiversity.
- Shark Fin Bay MPA Network (Philippines): The Sulubaai Environmental Foundation will implement a pilot community-based aquaculture project to support food security and alternative livelihoods for local fishers. This project aims to provide stability to local communities while raising awareness of sustainable practices and ecosystem protection.
- Misool Marine Reserve (Indonesia): The grant will support the community-based Reef Restoration Project, which educates and empowers local communities to restore and manage coral reefs. These reefs are vital breeding, nursery, and feeding grounds in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
- Palau National Marine Sanctuary (Palau): The Palau International Coral Reef Center will organize interactive sessions with a research team aboard their vessel for offshore expeditions. By connecting communities to this unique ecosystem, they hope to foster appreciation and support for the sanctuary’s protection and management.
- Siete Pecados Marine Park (Philippines): This grant will fund the construction of a strategically placed lifeguard tower, providing staff with an aerial view of the marine park. The tower will improve park regulation enforcement and visitor safety monitoring.
Dr. Sarah Hameed, Director of the Blue Parks initiative at Marine Conservation Institute, expressed enthusiasm for the projects: “We are thrilled to support these outstanding protected areas and their hardworking management teams in their critical work to protect marine life. Their innovative projects and dedication to marine conservation are inspiring, and we look forward to continued collaboration.”
The Blue Parks Small Grants program encourages innovative solutions to strengthen conservation outcomes. It forms part of Marine Conservation Institute’s broader Blue Parks initiative, which sets a global standard for MPA quality through the Blue Park Standard. The initiative incentivizes governments and managers with annual awards and ongoing support, improving marine conservation efforts worldwide through Blue Spark collaborations. Blue Parks Small Grants are supported by Blue.
For more information about Blue Parks, visit https://marine-conservation.org/blueparks/.
About Blue Parks
Blue Park Awards were established by Marine Conservation Institute to encourage high-quality marine protected areas (MPAs) that safeguard marine wildlife, secure critical habitats, promote resilience, and preserve the inspiring beauty of our oceans for future generations. The effort aims to assemble an effective network that sustains marine life and ecosystems globally. MPAs that meet science-based criteria for conservation effectiveness earn Blue Park Awards—there are currently 30 MPAs that have earned this distinction.
In addition to awarding new Blue Parks, Marine Conservation Institute has launched collaborations—Blue Sparks—with groups planning new MPAs and upgrading existing MPAs in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mozambique, Palau, and the Philippines to ensure their efforts result in future Blue Parks.
The Blue Parks initiative is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Ocean Decade).
About Marine Conservation Institute
Marine Conservation Institute, founded in 1996, works in the U.S. and globally to seek strong protection for at least 30% of the ocean by 2030—for us and future generations. Our focus on protecting the ocean’s most important places follows several lines of work: identifying and advocating for strong marine protected areas; improving laws and other tools to better conserve marine biodiversity; catalyzing effective conservation by recognizing and elevating the best marine protected areas as Blue Parks; and accurately reporting on global conservation efforts through our Marine Protection Atlas (MPAtlas.org).
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media