What is the High Seas Treaty and Why Does It Matter?

You may have seen headlines recently about a new global treaty that went into effect just as news broke that the United States would be withdrawing from a number of other international agreements. It’s a confusing time in the world of environmental policy, and Ocean Conservancy is here to help make it clearer while, of course, continuing to protect our ocean.

What is the High Seas Treaty?

The “High Seas Treaty,” formally known as the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, went into effect on January 17, 2026. We celebrated this win last fall, when the agreement reached the 60 ratifications required for its entry into force. (Since then, an additional 23 countries have joined!) It is the first comprehensive international legal framework dedicated to addressing the conservation and sustainable use of the high seas (the area of the ocean that lies 200 miles beyond the shorelines of individual countries).

To “ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity” of these areas, the BBNJ addresses four core pillars of ocean governance:

1. Marine genetic resources: The high seas contain genetic resources (genes of plants, animals and microbes) of great value for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food production. The treaty will ensure benefits accrued from the development of these resources are shared equitably amongst nations.
2. Area-based management tools such as the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters. Protecting important areas of the ocean is essential for healthy and resilient ecosystems and marine biodiversity.
3. Environmental impact assessments (EIA) will allow us to better understand the potential impacts of proposed activities that may harm the ocean so that they can be managed appropriately.
4. Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology with particular emphasis on supporting developing states. This section of the treaty is designed to ensure all nations benefit from the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity through, for example, the sharing of scientific information.

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Why is the High Seas Treaty Important?

The BBNJ agreement is legally binding for the countries that have ratified it and is the culmination of nearly two decades of negotiations. Its enactment is a historic milestone for global ocean governance and a significant advancement in the collective protection of marine ecosystems.

The high seas represent about two-thirds of the global ocean, and yet less than 10% of this area is currently protected. This has meant that the high seas have been vulnerable to unregulated or illegal fishing activities and unregulated waste disposal. Recognizing a major governance gap for nearly half of the planet, the agreement puts in place a legal framework to conserve biodiversity.

As it promotes strengthened international cooperation and accountability, the agreement will establish safeguards aimed at preventing and reversing ocean degradation and promoting ecosystem restoration. Furthermore, it will mobilize the international community to develop new legal, scientific, financial and compliance mechanisms, while reinforcing coordination among existing treaties, institutions and organizations to address long-standing governance gaps.

How is Ocean Conservancy Supporting the BBNJ Agreement?

Addressing the global biodiversity crisis is a key focal area for Ocean Conservancy, and the BBNJ agreement adds important new tools to the marine conservation toolbox and a global commitment to better protect the ocean.

Ocean Conservancy’s efforts to protect the “ocean twilight zone”—an area of the ocean 200-1000m (600-3000 ft) below the surface—is a good example of why the BBNJ agreement is so important. The ocean twilight zone (also known as the mesopelagic zone) harbors incredible marine biodiversity, regulates the climate and supports the health of ocean ecosystems. By some estimates, more than 90% of the fish biomass in the ocean resides in the ocean twilight zone, attracting the interest of those eager to develop new sources of protein for use in aquaculture feed and pet foods.

Done poorly, such development could have major ramifications for the health of our planet, jeopardizing the critical role these species play in regulating the planet’s climate and sustaining commercially and ecologically significant marine species. Species such as tunas (the world’s most valuable fishery), swordfish, salmon, sharks and whales depend upon mesopelagic species as a source of food. Mesopelagic organisms would also be vulnerable to other proposed activities including deep-sea mining.

A significant portion of the ocean twilight zone is in the high seas, and science and policy experts have identified key gaps in ocean governance that make this area particularly vulnerable to future exploitation. The BBNJ agreement’s provisions to assess the impacts of new activities on the high seas before exploitation begins (via EIAs) as well as the ability to proactively protect this area can help ensure the important services the ocean twilight zone provides to our planet continue well into the future.

What’s Next?

Notably, the United States has not ratified the treaty, and, in fact, just a few days before it went into effect, the United States announced its withdrawal from several important international forums, including many focused on the environment. While we at Ocean Conservancy were disappointed by this announcement, there is no doubt that the work will continue.

With the agreement now in force, the first Conference of the Parties (COP1), also referred to as the BBNJ COP, will convene within the next year and will play a critical role in finalizing implementation, compliance and operational details under the agreement. Ocean Conservancy will work with partners to ensure implementation of the agreement is up to the challenge of the global biodiversity crisis.

The post What is the High Seas Treaty and Why Does It Matter? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Testing the Waters Together: Launching the mCDR Forum

This blog was co-written alongside co-creators and co-founders of the mCDR Forum: Ben Rubin, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council, and Amanda Viellard, PhD, Director of Ocean Policy at Carbon 180.

The ocean plays a major role in absorbing carbon dioxide and moderating the climate. Marine carbon dioxide removal, or mCDR, builds on this natural process through a range of approaches that aim to increase the amount of CO₂ removed from the atmosphere. As a result of this potential to help address climate change, mCDR has become a rapidly evolving field, spanning early-stage research, in-water field trials and, in some cases, early deployment. 

As interest grows across academia, industry, philanthropy, governments and civil society, so do questions around governance, environmental integrity, accountability, equity and public trust. How these questions are answered will meaningfully shape the direction of the field.

At this inflection point, Carbon180, Ocean Conservancy and the Carbon Business Council are launching the mCDR Forum, a new space for cross-sector discussion on marine carbon dioxide removal. Our organizations have identified a growing need for a neutral forum to share knowledge and resources, raise questions and convene conversations around mCDR across sectors and perspectives. The mCDR Forum is designed to support dialogue, learning and relationship-building at a moment when shared understanding and open communication are especially important.

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A Coordination Gap 

Over the past several years, interest in mCDR as a potential tool for addressing climate change has grown. Governments are funding research, companies are developing and piloting an array of mCDR approaches, and scientists are working to better understand ocean processes, monitoring methods and ecological benefits and risks. At the same time, communities, Indigenous rightsholders and environmental organizations are raising critical concerns about safeguards, consent and long-term impacts on ocean ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.

As activity in the space accelerates, it’s critical that opportunities for structured, cross-sector engagement keep pace. Too often, conversations about mCDR are siloed—they take place within technical research settings, advocacy circles or regulatory processes that may not meaningfully overlap or include parties most directly connected to, or impacted by, potential mCDR deployment. These silos impede progress and can erode trust and reinforce misunderstandings about the promise, limits and goals of mCDR.

The mCDR Forum aims to address this gap by creating a dedicated space where various actors can share information, surface concerns, identify knowledge gaps and explore what responsible pathways forward might look like without requiring alignment on a single vision or outcome.

Why a Neutral Convening Matters

mCDR encompasses a wide range of approaches, from ocean alkalinity enhancement and biomass-based pathways to direct ocean capture and ecosystem restoration. These approaches vary significantly in their technical maturity, anticipated benefits, and potential environmental and social risks. It is neither realistic nor productive to expect consensus across all of these pathways, especially at this early stage.

That is why the mCDR Forum is explicitly approach-agnostic. Its purpose is not to promote specific pathways or to advocate for deployment, but to foster informed discussion grounded in evidence, transparency and accountability. Participants are not asked to endorse position papers, sign letters, or converge on shared recommendations. Instead, the forum prioritizes knowledge sharing, open communication, respectful engagement and relationship building across different sectors.

Equally important is making sure a range of experience and expertise is presented. The forum is intended to welcome participants from academia, mCDR suppliers and buyers, environmental NGOs, climate NGOs, philanthropy, coastal communities, Indigenous communities, and local, state, federal, international and Tribal governments. By bringing these perspectives into a shared conversation, the Forum can help ensure that questions of governance and environmental protection are not treated as afterthoughts.

Why Now?

This forum comes at a pivotal moment for mCDR, shaped by several key trends:

• Public and private investment is increasing, raising the stakes for how research and pilot projects are designed, governed and evaluated.
• National and international policy discussions are emerging around research permitting, monitoring, reporting and verification standards, and the role of mCDR in climate strategies.
• Public awareness is growing, alongside skepticism and concern rooted in the history and impacts of ocean experimentation and overpromised climate solutions.
• Scientific questions remain, underscoring the need for coordination, transparency and shared learning.

Without proactive spaces for dialogue, these dynamics could lead to polarized debates, duplicated efforts or loss of public engagement. A neutral forum offers a way to ask better questions and engage diverse perspectives about what we know, what we don’t and what responsible progress should require.

Why Carbon180, Ocean Conservancy and the Carbon Business Council?

The forum is led by three organizations that bring complementary perspectives and networks to the table.

Carbon180 has worked for nearly a decade to build the carbon removal field responsibly from the ground up, translating science into policy, connecting research with policymakers and ensuring that communities have a voice in how climate solutions are developed. Its dedicated ocean policy team extends that approach to mCDR, bringing marine science expertise and a commitment to environmental justice into this emerging space that demands both. 

Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it for more than 50 years. Today, it continues to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from its greatest challenges. Its involvement reflects a commitment to ensuring that any discussion of mCDR advocates for a healthy ocean and a thriving planet forever and for everyone.

The Carbon Business Council represents a growing ecosystem of more than 100 organizations working on scaling carbon removal responsibly. Its participation ensures that industry perspectives, and practical insights into innovation, scale and market dynamics, are part of transparent, multi-stakeholder conversations.

Together, we share a belief that the future of mCDR should not be shaped by any single sector acting alone. Convening across differences is not always easy, but it is essential for building legitimacy, identifying blind spots and advancing solutions that are both effective and publicly accountable.

Looking Ahead

As interest in mCDR continues to grow, so does the responsibility to engage thoughtfully and transparently. This forum is a step toward meeting that goal, making space for conversation before conclusions, and for collaboration before consensus.

The goal of the mCDR Forum is not to settle debates or accelerate deployment for its own sake, but to create durable connective tissue across a complex and evolving field. By supporting dialogue, learning and collaboration, our collective insights can meaningfully inform research priorities, governance frameworks and funding decisions. 

We look forward to learning alongside the many individuals and organizations who care deeply about the future of our ocean and our climate.

Interested in joining the conversation? Register for the mCDR Forum here.

The post Testing the Waters Together: Launching the mCDR Forum appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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What is Coral Bleaching and Why is it Bad News for Coral Reefs?

Coral reefs are beautiful, vibrant ecosystems and a cornerstone of a healthy ocean. Often called the “rainforests of the sea,” they support an extraordinary diversity of marine life from fish and crustaceans to mollusks, sea turtles and more. Although reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, they provide critical habitat for roughly 25% of all ocean species.

Coral reefs are also essential to human wellbeing. These structures reduce the force of waves before they reach shore, providing communities with vital protection from extreme weather such as hurricanes and cyclones. It is estimated that reefs safeguard hundreds of millions of people in more than 100 countries. 

What is coral bleaching?

A key component of coral reefs are coral polyps—tiny soft bodied animals related to jellyfish and anemones. What we think of as coral reefs are actually colonies of hundreds to thousands of individual polyps. In hard corals, these tiny animals produce a rigid skeleton made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The calcium carbonate provides a hard outer structure that protects the soft parts of the coral. These hard corals are the primary building blocks of coral reefs, unlike their soft coral relatives that don’t secrete any calcium carbonate.

Coral reefs get their bright colors from tiny algae called zooxanthellae. The coral polyps themselves are transparent, and they depend on zooxanthellae for food. In return, the coral polyp provides the zooxanethellae with shelter and protection, a symbiotic relationship that keeps the greater reefs healthy and thriving.

When corals experience stress, like pollution and ocean warming, they can expel their zooxanthellae. Without the zooxanthellae, corals lose their color and turn white, a process known as coral bleaching. If bleaching continues for too long, the coral reef can starve and die.

Ocean warming and coral bleaching

Human-driven stressors, especially ocean warming, threaten the long-term survival of coral reefs. An alarming 77% of the world’s reef areas are already affected by bleaching-level heat stress.

The Great Barrier Reef is a stark example of the catastrophic impacts of coral bleaching. The Great Barrier Reef is made up of 3,000 reefs and is home to thousands of species of marine life. In 2025, the Great Barrier Reef experienced its sixth mass bleaching since 2016. It should also be noted that coral bleaching events are a new thing because of ocean warming, with the first documented in 1998.

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How you can help

The planet is changing rapidly, and the stakes have never been higher. The ocean has absorbed roughly 90% of the excess heat caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and the consequences, including coral die-offs, are already visible. With just 2℃ of planetary warming, global coral reef losses are estimated to be up to 99% — and without significant change, the world is on track for 2.8°C of warming by century’s end.

To stop coral bleaching, we need to address the climate crisis head on. A recent study from Scripps Institution of Oceanography was the first of its kind to include damage to ocean ecosystems into the economic cost of climate change – resulting in nearly a doubling in the social cost of carbon. This is the first time the ocean was considered in terms of economic harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions, despite the widespread degradation to ocean ecosystems like coral reefs and the millions of people impacted globally.

This is why Ocean Conservancy advocates for phasing out harmful offshore oil and gas and transitioning to clean ocean energy.  In this endeavor, Ocean Conservancy also leads international efforts to eliminate emissions from the global shipping industry—responsible for roughly 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year.

But we cannot do this work without your help. We need leaders at every level to recognize that the ocean must be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Reach out to your elected officials and demand ocean-climate action now.

The post What is Coral Bleaching and Why is it Bad News for Coral Reefs? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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What is a Snipe Eel?

From the chilly corners of the polar seas to the warm waters of the tropics, our ocean is bursting with spectacular creatures. This abundance of biodiversity can be seen throughout every depth of the sea: Wildlife at every ocean zone have developed adaptations to thrive in their unique environments, and in the deep sea, these adaptations are truly fascinating.

Enter: the snipe eel.

What Does a Snipe Eel Look Like?

These deep-sea eels have a unique appearance. Snipe eels have long, slim bodies like other eels, but boast the distinction of having 700 vertebrae—the most of any animal on Earth. While this is quite a stunning feature, their heads set them apart in even more dramatic fashion. Their elongated, beak-like snouts earned them their namesake, strongly resembling that of a snipe (a type of wading shorebird). For similar reasons, these eels are also sometimes called deep-sea ducks or thread fish.

How Many Species of Snipe Eel are There?

There are nine documented species of snipe eels currently known to science, with the slender snipe eel (Nemichthys scolopaceus) being the most studied. They are most commonly found 1,000 to 2,000 feet beneath the surface in tropical to temperate areas around the world, but sightings of the species have been documented at depths exceeding 14,000 feet (that’s more than two miles underwater)!

How Do Snipe Eels Hunt and Eat?

A snipe eel’s anatomy enables them to be highly efficient predators. While their exact feeding mechanisms aren’t fully understood, it’s thought that they wiggle through the water while slinging their beak-like heads back and forth with their mouths wide open, catching prey from within the water column (usually small invertebrates like shrimp) on their hook-shaped teeth.

How Can Snipe Eels Thrive So Well in Dark Depths of the Sea?

Snipe eels’ jaws aren’t the only adaptation that allows them to thrive in the deep, either. They also have notably large eyes designed to help them see nearby prey or escape potential predators as efficiently as possible. Their bodies are also pigmented a dark grey to brown color, a coloring that helps them stay stealthy and blend into dark, dim waters. Juveniles are even harder to spot than adults; like other eel species, young snipe eels begin their lives as see-through and flat, keeping them more easily hidden from predators as they mature.

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How Much Do Scientists Really Know About Snipe Eels?

Residence in the deep sea makes for a fascinating appearance, but it also makes studying animals like snipe eels challenging. Scientists are still learning much about the biology of these eels, including specifics about their breeding behaviors.  While we know snipe eels are broadcast spawners (females release eggs into the water columns at the same time as males release sperm) and they are thought to only spawn once, researchers are still working to understand if they spawn in groups or pairs. Beyond reproduction, there’s much that science has yet to learn about these eels.

Are Snipe Eels Endangered?

While the slender snipe eel is currently classified as “Least Concern” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, what isn’t currently known is whether worldwide populations are growing or decreasing. And in order to know how to best protect these peculiar yet equally precious creatures, it’s essential we continue to study them while simultaneously working to protect the deep-sea ecosystems they depend on.

How Can We Help Protect Deep-Sea Species Like Snipe Eels?

One thing we can do to protect the deep sea and the wildlife that thrive within it is to advocate against deep-sea mining and the dangers that accompany it. This type of mining extracts mineral deposits from the ocean floor and has the potential to result in disastrous environmental consequences. Take action with Ocean Conservancy today and urge your congressional representative to act to stop deep-sea mining—animals like snipe eels and all the amazing creatures of the deep are counting on us to act before it’s too late.

The post What is a Snipe Eel? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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5 Animals That Need Sea Ice to Thrive

Today, we’re getting in the winter spirit by spotlighting five remarkable marine animals that depend on cold and icy environments to thrive.

1. Narwhals

Narwhals are often called the “unicorns of the sea” because of their long, spiraled tusk. Here are a few more fascinating facts about them:

• Believe it or not, their tusk is actually a tooth used for sensing their environment and sometimes for sparring.
• Narwhals are whales. While many whale species migrate south in the winter, narwhals spend their entire lives in the frigid waters of the circumpolar Arctic near Canada, Greenland and Russia.
• Sea ice provides narwhals with protection as they travel through unfamiliar waters.

2. Walruses

Walruses are another beloved Arctic species with remarkable adaptations for surviving the cold:

• Walruses stay warm with a thick layer of blubber that insulates their bodies from icy air and water.
• Walruses can slow their heart rate to conserve energy and withstand freezing temperatures both in and out of the water.
• Walruses use sea ice to rest between foraging dives. It also provides a vital and safe platform for mothers to nurse and care for their young.

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3. Polar Bears

Polar bears possess several unique traits that help them thrive in the icy Arctic:

• Although polar bear fur appears white, each hair is hollow and transparent, reflecting light much like ice.
• Beneath their thick coats, polar bears have black skin that absorbs heat from the sun. This helps keep polar bears warm in their icy habitat.
• Polar bears rely on sea ice platforms to access their primary prey, seals, which they hunt at breathing holes in the ice.

4. Penguins

Penguins are highly adapted swimmers that thrive in icy waters, but they are not Arctic animals:

• Penguins live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, mainly Antarctica, meaning they do not share the frigid northern waters with narwhals, walruses and polar bears.
• Penguins spend up to 75% of their lives in the water and are built for efficient aquatic movement.
• Sea ice provides a stable platform for nesting and incubation, particularly for species like the Emperor penguin, which relies on sea ice remaining intact until chicks are old enough to fledge.

5. Seals

Seals are a diverse group of carnivorous marine mammals found in both polar regions:

• There are 33 seal species worldwide, with some living in the Arctic and others in the Antarctic.
• There are two groups of seals: Phocidae (true seals) and Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals). The easiest way to tell seals and sea lions apart is by their ears: true seals have ear holes with no external flaps, while sea lions and fur seals have small external ear flaps.
• Seals need sea ice for critical life functions including pupping, nursing and resting. They also use ice for molting—a process in which they shed their fur in the late spring or early summer.

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Defend the Central Arctic Ocean Action

Some of these cold-loving animals call the North Pole home, while others thrive in the polar south. No matter where they live, these marine marvels rely on sea ice for food, safety, movement and survival.

Unfortunately, a rapidly changing climate is putting critical polar ecosystems, like the Central Arctic Ocean, at risk. That is why Ocean Conservancy is fighting to protect the Central Arctic Ocean from threats like carbon shipping emissions, deep-sea mining and more. Take action now to help us defend the Central Arctic Ocean.

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The post 5 Animals That Need Sea Ice to Thrive appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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