Resilient Seascapes for People and Nature in the Coral Triangle: Scaling Solutions through SOMACORE and the IUCN Green List as a Regional Framework for Effective Conservation

Seascape-based approach to regional and global impact 

SOMACORE’s work is anchored in three priority seascapes, where regional cooperation, national policy alignment, and community-led action come together to deliver tangible conservation outcomes. 

Yves Olatoundji / IUCN

  “The 12 pilot sites for the IUCN Green List programme” ©Yves Olatoundji/IUCN 

Bismarck Solomon Seas (BSS) 

In the Bismarck Solomon Seas, collaboration among Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands has gained momentum through dedicated sub-regional dialogues and exchanges. These discussions have reinforced commitment to joint governance mechanisms, including the potential revitalisation of the 2006 tri-national Memorandum of Understanding on Western Pacific leatherback turtles as a platform for broader cooperation on threatened migratory species. 

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) has been identified as a critical tool for ensuring ecological connectivity across national Exclusive Economic Zones, recognising that each country is at a different stage of MSP development. A planned learning exchange in 2026 will support shared understanding and lead to a coordinated workplan for MSP implementation across the seascape. In parallel, SOMACORE is supporting progress towards identifying and recognising Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), reflecting the strong role of community-led marine management in sustaining livelihoods and food security. 

Capacity building remains central to these efforts, including support for IUCN Green List self-assessments, development of learning tools and case studies, and strengthening locally managed marine areas, customary marine closures, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and inclusive governance approaches. 

Lesser Sunda Seascape (LSS) 

In the Lesser Sunda Seascape, collaboration between Indonesia and Timor-Leste is advancing equitable and effective conservation across one of the Coral Triangle’s most important marine corridors. Through the implementation of the LSS Joint Workplan and the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action 2.0, partners are strengthening connectivity management in the Ombai Strait and enhancing protection for migratory species. 

Key efforts include the establishment and strengthening of marine protected areas and locally managed marine areas in priority locations, alongside the development of a Science Hub that empowers universities to generate policy-relevant research. Community-focused initiatives, such as sustainable livelihood grants, partner networks, and learning exchanges for government agencies, MPA managers, and community groups, are reinforcing long-term stewardship and inclusive marine governance across the seascape. 

“The site visit in Nusa Penida, Indonesia” ©Olivier Chassot/IUCN

Sulu Sulawesi Seascape (SSS) 

In the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape, SOMACORE partners are supporting trinational cooperation through activities that integrate science, community action, and policy development. Planned initiatives include the establishment of a citizen science mechanism for sea turtle monitoring, collaboration with regional research initiatives, mapping of women-led coastal enterprises, identification of potential OECMs, and the rollout of marine spatial planning tools and pilot applications. 

Together, these actions strengthen ecosystem-based management, improve habitat connectivity, and support the operationalisation of seascape-level governance mechanisms that underpin sustainable fisheries, biodiversity conservation, and resilient coastal livelihoods. 

©Siska Sihombing/IUCN “The critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle in the Indonesian sea” 

Reinforcing regional leadership and policy alignment, recognising the IUCN Green List as the globally recognised standard for effective and equitable management of protected and conserved areas, and a practical pathway for MPAs, LMMAs and OECMs to demonstrate measurable results toward 30×30. 

Beyond individual seascapes, SOMACORE is reinforcing CTI-CFF’s regional leadership by expanding capacity building, peer learning, and knowledge exchange across the Coral Triangle. Harmonised training through the CTI-CFF online Repository, the growing IUCN Green List community of practice, and the scaling of solutions through global platforms such as PANORAMA are strengthening long-term capability, improving effectiveness, and enabling replication beyond the region. 

This regional momentum was clearly reflected in the outcomes of the Coral Triangle Senior Officials Meeting held in December 2025, which brought together more than 130 senior officials and partners. The Meeting confirmed strong strategic alignment between CTI-CFF priorities and IUCN’s support, including the formal endorsement of the IUCN Green List as a common regional framework to enhance the effectiveness of marine protected areas, locally managed marine areas (LMMAs), and OECMs across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, in alignment with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This milestone represents the cumulative result of years of awareness-raising, training, site-based engagement, and Green List self-assessments across the region. 

Senior Officials also formally endorsed the Coral Triangle Expert Assessment Group for the IUCN Green List (EAGL), comprising 19 experts from all CT6 countries, as the regional jurisdictional mechanism to independently assess the effectiveness of MPAs and OECMs. Clear expectations were set for IUCN’s continued leadership in 2026 across priority areas including the Green List, OECMs, PANORAMA Solutions, the CTMPAS and CT Atlas, and sustainable financing. The Meeting further recognised the increased global visibility of the Coral Triangle, supported by IUCN’s strong engagement at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in October 2025, and marked an important shift in recognising IUCN as a strategic partner to CTI-CFF. 

“One of the Coral Triangle dialogues at IUCN World Conservation Congress, October 2025” ©Siska Sihombing/IUCN   

Looking ahead 

Looking forward, SOMACORE Partners will continue to support implementation of the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action 2.0, with a strong focus on inclusive capacity building, strengthened coordination among technical working groups, and targeted assistance to national coordinating committees at both country and seascape levels. 

Efforts will be intensified to localise training using culturally relevant approaches and local languages, expand access to knowledge through case studies and learning modules, and strengthen participation of women, youth, and ethnic groups. SOMACORE will also continue to support regional learning exchanges on community-based surveillance, tourism carrying capacity, and gender equality and social inclusion, while strengthening countries’ capacity to apply the IUCN Green List Standard across MPAs, LMMAs, and OECMs. 

Through continued support to area-based conservation, community-led management, and policy coherence, SOMACORE contributes directly to the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 and to broader global ocean and climate agendas. 

“The SOMACORE Consortium Partners in Bali, December 2025” ©GIZ