Marine Networks in the Coral Triangle:
How does ecological connectivity across seascapes affect their conservation?
What if the ecological threads holding the world's most biodiverse seas together are being protected by areas that don't even carry the name "marine protected area"?
▫️Imagine drawing a circle on a map and calling it "protected." Now imagine the coral larvae, reef fish, manta rays, and sea turtles that cross that circle every day are completely unaware it exists.
▫️This is the challenge at the heart of marine conservation in the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse sea on the planet, lies in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Marine Protected Areas cover only 2–3% of its 6 million km², and many are still in the process of developing the governance structures, funding mechanisms, and management capacity needed to deliver lasting conservation outcomes. Meanwhile, some of the most effective conservation happening across the region does not carry the MPA label at all.
▫️In this module, you will discover how ecological connectivity — the movement of organisms, genes, and energy across seascapes — shapes what conservation can and cannot achieve. You will explore Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs): the customary closures, community-managed coasts, and locally governed areas that quietly anchor the conservation network. And you will develop the tools to evaluate whether any protected area — MPA or OECM — is genuinely delivering for both people and nature.
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