An ocean of opportunityMarine protected areas could help to reduce poverty, increase food security, create employment and protect coastal communities.

An ocean of opportunityOcean ecosystems are renewable assets which, if maintained in a healthy state, would continue to provide goods and services in perpetuity.

Substantial economic and social gains could be realized by protecting and improving them, and from using them sustainably and equitably to:

Enhance food security, health and well-being.

Deliver more secure and cost-effective public services.

Build more resilient economies and businesses.

Generate economic growth where it is needed.

Enhance food security, health and well-being

making equitable access to food and raw materials from a healthy ocean would improve quality of life for hundreds of millions of people, as well as generating substantial savings from averted healthcare and social costs.

Deliver more secure and cost-effective public services.Ocean ecosystems are a core part of a nation’s infrastructure portfolio, and should be invested in accordingly. Protecting and improving them to secure service supply would generate multibillion-dollar savings through reduced need for man-made alternatives and avoided socio-economic costs.

Build more resilient economies and businesses.Improved access to a sustainable supply of raw materials would insulate economies, businesses and supply chains from resource shocks, price volatility and disaster risks.

Generate economic growth where it is neededThrough new businesses and job creation in coastal areas (for example in fisheries and tourism) – areas that often suffer from a lack of economic opportunities.

ConclusionMarine protected areas (MPAs) that effectively protect critical habitats, species and ecological functions are an essential tool for ensuring ocean ecosystems can deliver services and benefits to current and future generations.

Brander et al. (2015) show that well-managed MPAs could help to reduce poverty, increase food security, create employment and protect coastal communities. They modelled a range of scenarios to examine the net benefits of expanding MPAs.

Increasing MPA coverage to 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas could generate between US$490 billion and US$920 billion by 2050 and 150,000-180,000 full-time jobs in MPA management over the 2015-2050 period.

Thanks for attentionMarine protected areas could help to reduce poverty, increase food security, create employment and protect coastal communities.

Protecting our ocean makes economic sense