Mission Blue and IUCN join forces to put coastal communities at the heart of ocean action with the One Ocean Partnership

The collaboration was announced by Dr Sylvia Earle, CEO & Founder of Mission Blue and IUCN Patron of Nature, and Razan Al Mubarak, President of IUCN, during Climate Week NYC 2026.

The partnership will bring together IUCN’s network, scientific expertise, partnerships and regenerative seascape approach pioneered under its Great Blue Wall initiative with Mission Blue’s global network of Hope Spots - ocean areas of critical ecological importance championed by local leaders. 

“There is only one ocean, and every breath we take, every drop of water we drink and every life on Earth depends upon it,” said Dr Sylvia Earle, CEO & Founder of Mission Blue. “Hope Spots show what becomes possible when science, local knowledge and courageous leadership come together. Through this collaboration with IUCN and the One Ocean Partnership, we can give local champions the recognition and support they deserve, create an effective network of action, and turn hope into lasting protection and recovery of the ocean at the scale needed for enduring security for life on Earth, humans very much included.”

“Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue have shown the power of local leadership through Hope Spots. Through this partnership, we want to build on that foundation, connecting locally led conservation with the science, expertise, partnerships, and investment needed to sustain it and expand its impact. By linking Hope Spots with wider regenerative seascapes, we can help turn successful local action into lasting progress for the Ocean and the communities that depend on it,” said Razan Al Mubarak, President of IUCN.

Together, Mission Blue and IUCN will:

• Connect Hope Spots and regenerative seascapes, linking local conservation efforts with regional and global ocean goals;
• Advance regenerative blue economy models that restore marine ecosystems while creating sustainable livelihoods;
• Support coastal and island leadership, bringing local knowledge and solutions into regional and global ocean discussions;
• Strengthen south-south and triangular cooperation between countries and communities, helping ocean leaders share knowledge and successful approaches;
• Connect local leaders with expertise, partnerships and finance to help turn solutions into action; and
• Share successful examples of ocean conservation and regeneration to inspire action in other regions.

Ocean ecosystems cross political boundaries, but ocean challenges and solutions vary from place to place. By connecting Hope Spot Champions and other local ocean leaders with IUCN’s regional networks and expertise, the partnership will help communities identify shared priorities, work together, share solutions and turn global ocean goals into action on the ground. 

At the heart of the collaboration is a vision for a regenerative blue economy — one where economic activity helps restore, rather than deplete, the ocean. The partnership will connect ocean protection and restoration with sustainable enterprise, innovation, local value creation and investment, demonstrating how healthy marine ecosystems can support livelihoods, resilient coastal economies and long-term prosperity. 

The need for action is urgent. The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet and supports food, livelihoods and economies for billions of people, while helping regulate our climate by absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. Yet warming, acidification, pollution, overfishing, more frequent extreme natural events and habitat loss are putting marine ecosystems and coastal communities under growing pressure.

Protecting and restoring the ocean is essential to meeting global commitments on biodiversity and sustainable development. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas to be effectively conserved and managed by 2030. Sustainable Development Goal 14 calls for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. Delivering these commitments will require coordinated action that is locally led, supported by science and finance, and connected across regions.

Mission Blue and IUCN will work together to help turn these global commitments into action on the ground by supporting coastal communities and local leaders to protect and restore marine ecosystems, share solutions and build sustainable livelihoods. By connecting people, knowledge, partnerships and investment, the collaboration aims to help create a healthier ocean and a more secure future for the people who depend on it.

Notes to editors 

Resources

IUCN Explainer Brief - Regenerative Blue Economy

IUCN Explainer Brief - Ocean Warming

Contacts:                                               

IUCN Press office  

[email protected] 

Emily Davenport, Director of Communications, Mission Blue

[email protected]