The Protectors
Since 2018, the World Ocean Summit has expanded into a wider and more ambitious World Ocean Initiative with an agenda focused on accelerated measures and tangible results on behalf of viable stewardship of the oceans. It is within the framework of this new initiative that Blancpain and The Economist Group have set up The Protectors program which is designed to support a series of individual projects that contribute in an innovative and significant manner to the objective of having 30% of the planet’s oceans classified into marine protected areas by 2030.
$1bn to save the ocean
The Economist asked Sir David Attenborough and four other leading thinkers on ocean conservation how they would invest $1bn to protect the ocean. Some of their answers may surprise you.
Can deep-sea mining help the environment?
Mining companies and governments will soon be allowed to extract minerals from the deep-ocean floor. These rare metals are vital for a more environmentally sustainable future on land, but at what cost to the health of the ocean?
Surviving climate change: the amazing resilience of horseshoe crabs
Horseshoe crabs predate the dinosaurs and have survived mass extinctions and major climatic shifts. Meet the biologist who is researching these living fossils to see if they could hold evolutionary secrets for marine species in the face of climate change.
How to stop plastic getting into the ocean
Plastic pollution poses a major threat to ocean life. Meet the engineers who are using rubbish-guzzling boats to steam the flow at its source.
How noise pollution threatens ocean life
Noise pollution has led to multiple whale-strandings and poses a threat to thousands of ocean creatures. Meet the scientist who is mapping ocean noise in a bid to dial down the volume.
Mangroves: How they help the ocean
Mangrove forests are vital for the health of the planet, but they're rapidly disappearing. Meet the pioneering scientists who are harnessing the hidden power of mangroves to help tackle climate change.
Troubled Water
Worldwide thousands of sea species are under threat. How can we protect them, the ocean itself and the millions of people who depend on it for survival?