Mission Blue's Hope Spots Network Reaches 170 Sites Across 115 Countries

Mission Blue's Hope Spots network has grown to 170 designated sites across 115 countries and the High Seas, covering more than 35 million square kilometers of ocean. The initiative began in 2009 when oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle used her TED Prize wish to call for a global network of marine protected areas critical to ocean health.

Hope Spots are nominated by local scientists, conservationists, and community leaders who identify ecologically significant areas and commit to championing their protection. A council of global marine experts evaluates nominations for scientific justification and committed local leadership before designation, distinguishing this bottom-up approach from top-down protection models.

More than 200 Hope Spot Champions lead conservation efforts across the network, supported by over 200 organizational partners. Champions include marine biologists monitoring coral health in the Philippines, community leaders restoring mangroves in Costa Rica, and educators building ocean advocacy in South Africa.

In 2026, the network added new sites at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in Chile and Tonga in the South Pacific. Other notable sites include Chesapeake Bay, North America's largest estuary; Fernando de Noronha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off Brazil; and Cordell Bank, one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the eastern Pacific.

The network operates through 18 regional divisions aligned with the IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, strengthening collaboration within geographic areas while connecting local efforts to global frameworks. Science partnerships with Esri, universities, and research institutions use GIS technology, environmental DNA analysis, and field expeditions to map biodiversity and inform protection strategies.

The network has catalyzed measurable protection outcomes. The Pangatalan Island Hope Spot in the Philippines expanded from one marine protected area to a network of eight across Shark Fin Bay. Panama tripled the size of its Cordillera de Coiba marine protected area after Hope Spot designation, becoming one of the first nations to achieve 30% ocean protection.

Champion Fund grants in 2025 supported community-led conservation including reef monitoring, mangrove restoration, ocean education, and marine research across the Philippines, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Spain. Projects trained citizen scientists, planted more than 24,000 mangroves, and inspired the next generation of ocean advocates.

Dr. Earle, now 90, returned to the TED stage in June 2026 with a message of hope for the ocean. The network operates within the global push to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, alongside developments such as the High Seas Treaty that entered into force on January 17, 2026.