CONSERVING
MARINE BIODIVERSITY
THE
CHALLENGE
Preserving and Rehabilitating Marine Ecosystems
The oceans cover more than 71% of the Earth’s surface, earning
the name Blue Planet. They play multiple vital roles not only for
ecosystems, but also for our society and its wellbeing. They are home
to 97% of all life on earth, holding a cornucopia of biodiversity.
The rainforests of the oceans benefit people and the natural world
far beyond their boundaries.
An increasingly significant percentage
of the global population resides within the coastal margin, relying
on coastal and marine ecosystems for food and income. For most developing
coastal nations these are the only means of survival. For other
maritime countries they are a means of boosting their economies
through fisheries, petroleum exploitation, tourism, and seabed mining.
Within the last decade the ecological
stability of the oceans has been increasingly threatened at an unprecedented
rate by over-fishing and harvesting, global warming, overpopulation,
coastal development, and poor management. Progress in conserving
these fragile ecosystems has been slow and it is imperative that
we reverse the negative trend
IUCN's
RESPONSE
Responding to the need to conserve our marine and coastal resources
IUCN formed the Global Marine Programme (GMP) in 1985. Since its
inception, the Global Marine Programme has been working across Southeast
Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and Central and
South America. These programmes have covered multiple areas such
as integrated coastal and marine management, fisheries, marine protected
areas, larger marine ecosystems, as well as coral reef rehabilitation,
and the effects of coral bleaching and climate change.
IUCN’s GMP contributes towards the
conservation of marine biodiversity by promoting, influencing and
catalyzing sustainable uses and equitable sharing of resources,
as well as protecting ecosystems. In order to attain these goals,
the GMP is focusing on the following objectives:
 Further development
and implementation of a focused Union-wide Marine Programme
Establishment
of an active network of Members, Commissions, individuals and Institutions
to implement the Programme
Influencing
global debate and decisions on conservation and sustainable use
of marine and coastal resources
Establishment
of partnerships through the implementation of joint activities on
marine and coastal conservation (eg. the Head of IUCN’s GMP
is also the Chair of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network -
GCRMN)
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