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Preserving the oceans and the marine life that reside in them is one of the most important things humanity can do to help ward off climate change. Luckily, the governments of the Azores islands near Portugal enacted legislation that will protect 30 percent of its waters.
Protecting marine life and ecosystems
The Azores, according to Mongabay, is an autonomous Portuguese archipelago of nine islands in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. This area is teaming with marine life.
In October 2024, the regional government decided to enact regulation that would protect a total of 30 percent of the Azorian waters. 15 percent will be fully protected, while the other 15 percent will be highly protected. This marine protected area (MPA) will protect and provide refuge for a slew of marine life and ecosystems: dolphins, whales, sharks, manta rays, deep-sea coral, fish and even hydrothermal vents.
In order to decide what areas would be designated as protected, a series of local and international teams undertook extensive mapping projects in 2016 and 2018. They found a variety of unique geological features that support cold-water coral and other vital sea ecosystems. Likewise, they also discovered that the area is an important stopover site for a number of marine species such as seabirds, dolphins, and whales.
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“The region acts as a biodiversity corridor, linking marine species between the Americas, Europe and Africa,” Dr. Alan Friedlander, the Chief Scientist for The National Geographic’s Pristine Sea Project, which participated in the mapping projects, told Mongabay.
UN Biodiversity Conference goal of 30 percent by 2030
According to National Geographic, the new Azores MPA is part of the push to live up to the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference Summit agreement that the world would protect 30 percent of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030. Currently, only 8 percent of the ocean is protected and only 3 percent of it is highly or fully protected.
“The health and sustainability of the Azores' marine environment are crucial not only for local communities but also for global marine biodiversity, climate stability, and oceanic health. Protecting this ecosystem is essential for preserving its ecological, economic, and cultural values,” Friedlander told National Geographic.
Research shows that the world needs about 190,000 small MPAs in coastal regions and 300 large MPAs in remote, offshore regions in order to meet the 2030 goal. The Azores MPA is a very good start, but there is a lot of work still to be done.
Still, the designation of the Azores MPA is certainly welcome news. When it comes to protecting the planet, every little bit counts, and can have a major impact on the future of the oceans and life on Earth.
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