Conservation International (CI)

Building on over two decades of global marine conservation experience, CI conserves the benefits the ocean provides for current and future generations of people through science-based innovations that can be amplified from the local to global level:

• Valuation – Recognizing Ocean Values
  Apply green economics to put monetary values on the ecosystem services and natural resources that are necessary for commerce and create incentives in favor of sustainable use of the oceans.
• Inspiration – Marine Flagship Species
  Capture people’s imagination and evoke strong emotions to protect iconic animals and their habitats. Conduct research to develop effective methodologies to monitor and protect large ocean species.
• Measurement – Ocean Health Index
  Incorporate the Ocean Health Index as a metric tool for international and national policy decisions, business sustainable practices prioritization, and as part of multi-lateral program assessments.
• Management – Seascapes Approach // Marine Protected Area Networks // Spatial Planning
  Utilize new innovations including marine protected area networks and spatial planning in selected geographies. Prove effectiveness and expand to a global application. Expand the seascapes approach to other geographies where the approach has potential to empower unified resource management.
• Reform – Coastal Fisheries Management // Ocean Partnership Fund // Sustainable Aquaculture Development
  Coordinate and fund coastal fishery management to develop sustainable wild-catch fisheries. Create a financing mechanism that aligns investments through a shared strategy. Promote adoption of policies to guide sustainable aquaculture development with an emphasis on Asia.
• Preparation – Climate Change Adaptation // Blue Carbon Conservation
  Utilize climate change vulnerability assessment as a global tool to guide climate change adaptation strategies. Advance blue carbon research and trials to mitigate the impact of. greenhouse gases on climate change.

In addition, the Marine Science Program was created to help sustain the health of the oceans through the use of marine management areas. Their approach is one of Science-to-Action which is then amplified through partnerships with decision makers from a local to a global level. Their portfolio of geographies is extensive and includes sites within the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, central and South America, and Fiji. Within the Marine Management Areas they draw on both natural and social sciences to conduct research on; human-well-being, ecosystem services and biodiversity and through their global learning network they are able to identify where the management questions and data-gaps exist. From these studies they are then able to produce both peer-reviewed publications and Science-to-Action materials.

CI complements and strengthens existing ocean conservation efforts, fills urgent gaps and most importantly targets large-scale conservation opportunities which will generate impact at scale and for the long term.

CI strongly believes that these innovations are best delivered through strong partnerships and effective field demonstrations. Our best chance for success is when innovations are embraced by all organizations, governments and businesses engaged in ocean issues.

For this reason, our marine staff are engaging as trusted advisors to decision-makers in governments, businesses and communities worldwide. This allows us to understand the complex drivers of the decline in ocean health, engage key leaders and catalyze collective and effective solutions.

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