Traditional and Novel Approaches Needed to Sustainably Fund Marine Protections Far From Shore

Navigate to:

Traditional and Novel Approaches Needed to Sustainably Fund Marine Protections Far From Shore
A school of bonito swims in the open ocean. In a 2021 study, researchers assessed financing strategies for large offshore marine protected areas and recommended funding methods for strengthening those protections.
Getty Images

In order to meet international targets for marine protection, marine protected areas (MPAs) that include large areas of open ocean habitat will need to be designated. Since research shows that staff and budget capacity strongly predict the conservation outcomes of MPAs, identifying pathways to sustainably finance protection is a key step in safeguarding offshore habitats at scale. To date, most of the research into planning and implementation of MPA finance has focused on smaller or coastal MPAs, which have different challenges from those in the open ocean.

To fill this knowledge gap, The Pew Charitable Trusts commissioned a team of independent researchers to conduct a comprehensive assessment of financing for large offshore MPAs, including those in the high seas—the vast areas farther than 200 miles from shore. The team’s analysis found that these MPAs are likely to be more reliant on traditional funding sources—government budgets, user fees, and trust funds—than are coastal areas. Based on the analysis, the authors recommend developing shared funding mechanisms across networks of interconnected protected areas to improve financial stability. Additionally, because limited published data on the costs of offshore MPA designation and operation exists, the authors suggest developing a centralized and transparent database of estimated and actual costs to promote learning and improve the financial sustainability across MPAs.

Pew supported this project, but the views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pew.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics

Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.

Quick View

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.