Content Library

News

Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

Filter by Core Theme

All Themes Circular Economy Climate Action Connectivity & Digitization Culture & Community Energy & Transport Green Finance & Economy Ocean & Biodiversity Policy & Governance Tourism & Remote Work Water & Food

Showing 9 of 235 news items in Ocean & Biodiversity

Ocean & BiodiversityFebruary 4, 2026

The High Seas Treaty Comes Into Force: What This Means for Ocean Protection

Excerpt from earthshotprize.org Today, the High Seas Treaty officially enters into force, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection and international cooperation. After more than two decades of negotiations, this moment signals a new era in how the world governs and protects nearly half of the planet. The Treaty, formally known as the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), gives humanity its first global legal framework to safeguard the High Seas. Winner of The Earthshot Prize 2025, the High Seas Treaty reflects the power of collective action and demonstrates that protecting our shared ocean is possible. This is not the end of a journey, but the beginning of a new chapter in ocean governance.

Ocean & BiodiversityFebruary 4, 2026

Brazil's most mysterious oceanic island recovers part of its forest after eliminating goats

Excerpt from oglobo.globo.com Photo credit: Élcio Braga via OGlobo.Globo.com The Brazilian island that holds the most mysteries per square kilometer is becoming greener. For centuries, Trindade — 1,180 kilometers off the coast of Espírito Santo — began to be devastated by a herd of hungry goats, transforming it almost into a desert bathed by the South Atlantic. A study conducted by researchers from the National Museum, with support from the Navy, shows that this scenario has been changing over the last 30 years. A forest is resurging — and, even better, with native species. The green area increased by 1,468%, equivalent to 65 hectares. Meanwhile, the undergrowth expanded by 325 hectares, an increase of 319%.

Ocean & BiodiversityJanuary 16, 2026

The Great Pacific Garbage, Once the World’s Dirtiest Ocean Zone, Is Now Home to Dozens of Species

Photo Credit: The Ocean Cleanup, via dailygalaxy.com Excerpt from dailygalaxy.com It floats, it drifts, it doesn’t break down. Plastic in the ocean is everywhere, but now it’s doing more than polluting. It’s becoming something else. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where no islands or coastlines exist, small marine animals are settling. They’re not just riding the currents. They’re building communities. Some are growing, others are reproducing. All of them are doing it on plastic.

Ocean & BiodiversityJanuary 16, 2026

Could freezing coral larvae protect reefs from ocean warming?

Image: UNEP, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Flickr. Excerpt from eco-business.com The Coral Triangle, one of the planet’s most diverse reef regions, is under siege. The area, spanning the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, is home to 75 per cent of the world’s known coral species. It sustains 3,000 species of reef fish and the livelihoods of over 120 million people. But over 85 per cent of its reefs are threatened by rising temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution and unsustainable fishing, according to the World Resources Institute.

Ocean & BiodiversityJanuary 16, 2026

Scientists discover incredible 'window into the past' at remote islands: 'We only have five years left'

Excerpt and Photo Credit: thecooldown.com An incredible new study examining shark and predatory fish populations in the Eastern Tropical Pacific shines a light on what the ocean ought to look like at its healthiest, according to an article by the National Geographic Society that was shared by Phys.org. The study surveyed remote marine protected areas such as the Galápagos, Malpelo, Clipperton, and Revillagigedo islands. It also looked at islands that were closer to coasts. It found that shark populations were much higher in the most remote and well-protected areas. Meanwhile, the more accessible and coastal marine protected areas, which allow fishing, showed signs of depletion. "The oceanic islands of the Eastern Tropical Pacific represent a window into the past, where sharks and large predatory fishes are the norm and not the exception," said senior author Dr. Pelayo Salinas-de-León, the principal investigator at the Charles Darwin Foundation. "These areas provide a glimpse of what a healthy ocean looks like."

Ocean & BiodiversityJanuary 15, 2026

Tiny Caribbean island brings hope for critically endangered iguana

Excerpt from news.mongabay.com Over the past decade, Prickly Pear East, a small, privately owned island in the Caribbean, has become a beacon of hope for a critically endangered lizard. The islet, near the main island of Anguilla, a British territory, is one of just five locations where the lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is breeding and thriving, protected from invasive iguanas and human disturbances, conservationists say. The latest surveys, from July, show the species’ population on Prickly Pear East has grown to more than 300 adults and adolescents — up from just 23 individuals that were moved there from Anguilla starting in 2016.

Ocean & BiodiversityMay 7, 2026

Seychelles’ Blue Bond: Turning Ocean Vision into Action

Excerpt from globalissues.org Photo credit: Michaela Rimakova / Unsplash via GlobalIssues.org As the world prepares for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) meeting in Samarkand next month, Seychelles’ pioneering blue bond offers a compelling lesson in practical ocean finance. For small island states, the ocean is not merely a natural resource; it is the foundation of national life, economic opportunity, and long-term resilience against climate threats. As President of Seychelles, I introduced the blue economy as a national vision as early as 2008. I did so because I believed then—as I do now—that for an island nation spanning 1.4 million square kilometers of ocean, sustainable development must begin with responsible stewardship of our marine resources. Our future depended on learning how to protect biodiversity, manage fisheries sustainably, and build economic models that serve both present needs and future generations. This vision positioned Seychelles as an early advocate for integrating ocean health with national prosperity. That vision was not developed in isolation. It was strengthened through deliberate steps and high-level conversations that bridged policy ambition with financial innovation. A key milestone came with the debt-for-nature swap, finalized with the Paris Club creditors and The Nature Conservancy in 2014. This landmark agreement restructured approximately US$21.6 million in debt, freeing resources for marine conservation and climate adaptation. It directly led to the creation of SeyCCAT, the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, which has since become a vital mechanism for channeling funds into ocean protection, sustainable fisheries, and resilience projects.

Ocean & BiodiversityMay 7, 2026

Eco-tourism operator in Okinawa bets on corals as carbon absorber

Excerpt and Photo credit from japantimes.co.jp About 10 minutes after departing Naha Port on a clear day, the seascape below a boat reveals a vivid spread of soft corals and schools of tropical fish gliding through the water. Before departure, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the water measured 407.3 parts per million, but at a site where soft corals carpet the seabed, the CO2 level dropped into the 360-ppm range. Marine Tourism Development, an eco-tourism operator based in Naha, has launched a new kind of tour that measures underwater CO2 concentrations in real time while passengers observe the seafloor through a glass-bottomed boat. By “visualizing” otherwise invisible data, the company hopes to encourage visitors to think of climate change mitigation as a personal issue. The initiative — combining sightseeing, environmental conservation and CO2 reduction — is drawing attention as a model of what's known as blue tourism.

Ocean & BiodiversityDecember 15, 2025

Rethinking the Indo-Pacific as a single ocean system

Excerpt from lowyinstitute.org Locals sometimes get so used to the scenery that they forget to marvel at the sights. This isn’t just true for people that live in beautiful holiday spots. The same tendency can hamper analysts focused on international affairs. It’s easy, for example, to see the Indo-Pacific as a scatter of distant landmasses and island chains. Yet an unexpected work trip to France recently offered me a clearer view of the region’s richness and potential. A few weeks ago I was privileged to join the 5th International Session for the Indo-Pacific at the invitation of France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defence. In a week-long program alongside 54 senior military and government officials, academics and policy experts from across the region – from East Africa to the Pacific Islands – I was struck not by our diversity but by how quickly a shared sense of purpose took shape.