A Tide of Change: Stories of Marine Conservation Success
Susann Rossbach
Red Sea Global, Saudi Arabia
& Carlos M. Duarte, National Champion for Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Winning article: A Tide of Change: What We Can Learn from Stories of Marine Conservation Success (One Earth, 2023)
“Human stewardship is essential for driving conservation success, especially when different stakeholders work together in rebuilding marine life.”
The challenges facing marine ecosystems are increasingly daunting. Climate change, overexploitation, pollution, and habitat degradation are exacting a severe toll on biodiversity and the health of the oceans. Yet, amid these escalating pressures, there are stories of success — efforts that have not only reversed the tide of degradation but have set the stage for a more sustainable future for marine environments. However, these stories are often underreported in global assessments, creating a skewed narrative that overlooks the power of human agency and the potential for positive change. Humans shape the world in both beneficial and harmful ways. We often hear about the damage we cause—the degradation of oceans, climate change driven by our actions in the Anthropocene, and the decline of coral reefs. Yet, we are also stewards and conservationists. Conservation programs can succeed, offering valuable lessons, but those that fall short shouldn’t be seen as failures. Instead, they provide important insights, helping us refine our approach to protecting the planet.
This gap in the narrative is what motivated our research. We sought to identify and amplify evidence-based stories of marine conservation success, uncovering the social, ecological, and institutional factors that made these initiatives thrive. By rebalancing the discourse, we aim to demonstrate that, despite the many challenges, progress is possible. And perhaps, most importantly, we want to show that marine conservation is not only feasible — it is already happening.
Through our study of 217 verified marine conservation success stories, we identified key strategies that can be replicated to foster long-term change. One of the core recommendations is the adoption of a “learning-by-doing” approach. By building on the lessons from diverse geographies, habitats, and stakeholder contexts, we can take concrete actions that address the most pressing issues affecting marine ecosystems.
The first step is empowering and engaging local communities as long-term stewards of marine ecosystems. Local involvement is critical, as communities are best positioned to manage and protect the resources they depend on. Secondly, fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential. Governments, scientists, NGOs, and industry players must come together, aligning their incentives and expertise to create sustainable solutions.
In addition, focusing on manageable, high-impact local pressures such as overfishing and pollution can yield visible results that not only benefit ecosystems but also improve the livelihoods of people who rely on these resources. By using successful case studies as templates, we can scale up effective solutions and adapt them to new contexts, ensuring that we are constantly learning and evolving in our conservation efforts.
The importance of marine conservation cannot be overstated when viewed through the lens of planetary boundaries science. The health of the oceans is deeply connected to several key planetary boundaries, particularly those related to biodiversity, biogeochemical flows, and climate regulation. Our research demonstrates that effective marine conservation can restore critical ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and trophic regulation. These functions are not only vital for the health of marine life but also for maintaining the stability of the Earth’s systems.
By restoring these ecosystem functions, we can help keep humanity within safe planetary limits. Reversing the degradation of marine ecosystems directly contributes to the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and supports broader global climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. These findings offer empirical evidence that ecosystem recovery is not only possible but already occurring, provided the right governance and stewardship conditions are in place.
Figure 1: Distribution of conservation successes across the world’s oceans, different habitats, and taxonomic groups. (A) Overview map, highlighting all 217 conservation successes. (B) Cumulative number of success records (gray bars) between 1970 and 2020, and a number of unique conservation success cases (red line). (C) Number of reported conservation successes per ocean component.
Recent trends in marine conservation are shifting towards a solution-oriented approach that focuses on progress, agency, and collective action. Increasingly, conservation efforts are aligning ecological goals with socioeconomic outcomes, such as food security, livelihoods, and cultural values. This integration fosters a more holistic approach that supports both environmental and human well-being.
Technological advances also play a significant role in this evolution. Satellite monitoring, environmental DNA (eDNA), and AI-driven analytics are providing more robust, real-time assessments of ecosystem change. These tools enhance our ability to measure conservation outcomes and adapt strategies accordingly, making it easier to connect local actions to global environmental stability.
These trends support planetary boundaries science by providing tools and narratives that reveal actionable levers at multiple scales, promoting systems thinking, and encouraging cross-sectoral solutions. One of the most exciting aspects of our research is the potential for scaling successful marine conservation efforts across industries and policy frameworks. Policymakers can incorporate lessons from successful conservation cases into national biodiversity strategies and marine spatial planning. By reforming regulatory frameworks to promote active restoration, not just protection, governments can drive real, measurable changes. Long-term monitoring and adaptive funding mechanisms will also ensure that these efforts remain dynamic and responsive to evolving challenges.
Industry has a crucial role to play as well. Businesses can partner in habitat restoration efforts, particularly through blue carbon finance, biodiversity offsets, and sustainability certification schemes. Voluntary environmental standards and practices can also help reduce marine impact, especially in fisheries and coastal development.
Civil society and NGOs, meanwhile, can mobilize local knowledge and encourage community engagement in conservation co-design. By sharing success stories widely, they can build social momentum and create the conditions for action. The diversity of successful cases across different regions demonstrates that scaling up is not only possible but practical, provided governance, financing, and community commitment align.
The stories of marine conservation success we’ve uncovered demonstrate that hope is not only possible but achievable. When we empower communities, foster collaboration, and focus on actionable local pressures, we can create a future where oceans thrive, biodiversity rebounds, and human communities flourish alongside nature. The key to success lies in harnessing these lessons, scaling them across regions and industries, and fostering a collective commitment to stewardship. The tide of change is not only on the horizon — it is already here.
Figure 2: Co-author team from top left to top right: Alexandra Steckbauer, Carlos Duarte (National Champion), Felix Rossbach, Kah Keng Lim. From bottom left to bottom right: Letizia Valluzzi, Shannon Klein, Susann Rossbach (First Author), Sylvia Arossa.