The Marine Conservation Institute announced the nominees for its 2023 Blue Park Awards and needs your help to evaluate the selected marine protected areas (MPAs). The public comment period is open until 4 December 2022.
The Blue Park Awards are presented to exemplary MPAs in the right places with the right rules and management to protect marine wildlife. All the award nominees undergo a rigorous assessment using science-based criteria.
The four nominees are:
– Cordillera de Coiba Managed Resources Area, Panama
– Alcatrazes Archipelago Wildlife Refuge and Tumpinambás Ecological Station, Brazil
– Pitcairn Islands Marine Protected Area in the Pitcairn Islands, UK
– Watamu Marine Protected Area, Kenya.
If you have experience with or know any of these nominees, the Marine Conservation Institute wants to hear your thoughts.
You can review the Blue Park draft evaluation reports and provide feedback by submitting comments before the 4 December deadline.
The new Blue Parks will join an international network of outstanding MPAs, which unite the areas and people who care about them and build on the Institute’s work to protect 30% of the ocean for nature.