OUR APPROACH
The Blue Nature Alliance collaborates with local stakeholders and champions to identify engagement locations, articulate shared objectives, and design the strategic interventions needed to achieve measurable outcomes for the creation of new Ocean Conservation Areas, and the expansion, improved management or upgraded protections of existing areas.
Ocean Conservation Areas
Our aim is to advance Ocean Conservation Areas, inclusive of Marine Protected Areas, Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures, Indigenous Protected Areas, and other innovative place-based interventions designed to achieve biodiversity conservation outcomes. A significant, but not exclusive, focus of the Alliance will be on Large Scale Marine Protected Areas
Creation or Expansion of Ocean Conservation Areas
With less than 10% of the ocean under some form of protection, we need a rapid acceleration of ocean protection. We will partner to advance the creation and expansion of ocean protections, including piloting new approaches as they emerge.
Improved Management or Upgraded Protections
The level of protection afforded within an Ocean Conservation Area as well as the effectiveness of the management actions taken are critical to achieving the desired conservation outcomes. We will work with partners to maximize the total area under high levels of protection that are effectively and equitably managed.
Site Engagement Criteria
To identify potential site engagements, the Blue Nature Alliance uses the following criteria:
Significant
Large areas that include coastal ecosystems and/or open ocean that are of vital importance to people and nature.
Political Will
Decision-making authorities or Indigenous communities have expressed a strong vision for ocean conservation; and these leaders are prepared to take action and partner to achieve this vision.
Achievable
Partners working together with clearly articulated outcomes and a high likelihood of success.
Catalytic
Ideas and opportunities that rapidly build momentum for durable protections, inspire innovative approaches, or push conservation to unprecedented new scales.
Local Champions
Local champions are ready to work with partners to drive towards impactful ocean conservation outcomes through engagement with their community.
Leverage
Presence of co-investment and/or match funding which may include government revenue, private sector donations, public funding, or other philanthropic giving.
If your ocean conservation goals meet these criteria and would benefit from partnering with the Blue Nature Alliance, please tell us about it using the expression of interest form here.
Engagement Process
Once a site has been identified as a likely good fit for an Alliance engagement, we work through a four-step process to assess and identify how the Alliance can best contribute to advancing the site along its conservation journey to achieve a clear, shared, and time-bound goal.
1
Scoping
Meeting with stakeholders and potential partners to understand if the Blue Nature Alliance could contribute to achieving a shared goal.
3
Endorsements
Relevant governing bodies and/or partners endorse the framework and commit to supporting the work needed to achieve the agreed goal.
2
Engagement Framework
If scoping is successful, the Alliance co-develops a framework that articulates the measures, activities, and partners required to achieve the shared goal.
4
Implementation
Agreed engagement framework undertaken in close collaboration so that adjustments can be made along the way.
Striving for Equity
Centered on Indigenous peoples and local communities' goals to protect their natural resources and enhance the social and ecological outcomes, equity is core to the Blue Nature Alliance’s ocean conservation work. This approach ensures the legitimacy and durability of marine conservation.
The Alliance created a Code of Conduct that follows four overarching social principles:
Recognize and respect the dignity and diversity of local people;
Employ and elevate participatory decision-making and good governance;
Promote the equitable distribution of benefits and costs; and
Champion collaborative and effective management of the marine environment.
Technical Expertise and Financial Resources
For approved site engagements, the Blue Nature Alliance provides a combination of technical expertise, access to a network of partners, and flexible financial resources for on-the-ground partners.
Technical Expertise: The Alliance team of technical experts and partners bring a broad range of experience across the social, political, economic, finance, and management of ocean conservation areas.
Financial Resources: The Alliance may provide funding to invited grantees for select activities as defined in the engagement framework. Grantee partners may include local and international NGOs, private sector operators, the science and research community, and government institutions.
Growing the Field: As a compliment to place-based work, we support the development of science, toolkits, capacity building, knowledge exchanges, guidance documents, and other innovations that advance and grow the field of large-scale ocean conservation.