Despite our oceans covering more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface, playing a vital role in regulating our climate and providing food and jobs for billions, they are facing threats at an unprecedented scale.
Pollution, overfishing, climate change and habitat destruction endanger marine life and human well-being.
Healthy oceans support biodiversity and are crucial for fisheries and coastal communities.
They protect us from the impact of an adversely changing climate and provide resources we depend on for our sustenance. Protected areas, such as marine reserves can help keep these ecosystems safe but we need more than just isolated efforts. Effective coordination is key to managing and using these shared resources sustainably and Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) seeks to plug the holes.
Over the years, there have been multiple initiatives to protect the oceans. The OCM is the latest initiative aiming to address these challenges.
Under this initiative, announced by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on January 14, 2025, the focus is on the Caribbean and the North Brazil shelf.
These areas are rich in biodiversity, their coral reefs and fisheries support local economies, contributing about $610 million each year. The North Brazil Shelf, classified as a Large Marine Ecosystem, is home to over 500 fish species and acts as a natural barrier against storms.
The new initiative builds on lessons from previous initiatives, such as the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy (PIROP), that aimed to sustainably manage marine resources across the Pacific.
For example, PIROP struggled with vague goals, financial constraints, and a lack of integrated management and this left vulnerable communities with unequal access to ocean resources.
The OCM, however, has set clear objectives and a collaborative framework to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable approach to ocean conservation.
OCM also promotes blue carbon projects, which use coastal ecosystems for carbon storage, benefiting both the environment and local communities.
Financial sustainability is another vital component of the OCM. It has secured an initial $15 million investment from the Global Environment Facility through the UNDP/GEF PROCARIBE+ Project. The initiative has also benefited from a substantial co-financing total of $126.02 million facilitated by the GEF.
While this funding is a good start, it is still less than what other global conservation initiatives have achieved like Global Fund for Coral Reefs, which has raised around $225 million to date and aims to leverage up to $3 billion by 2030. This raises concerns about whether the OCM can achieve its ambitious goals.
Despite the shortcomings, OCM offers a much-needed framework to protect the Caribbean’s marine environments.
One of the most promising aspects of the OCM is its commitment to involving local communities. By integrating traditional knowledge with scientific research, the initiative ensures that conservation efforts are not only effective but also culturally and socially relevant.