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Last Friday, the Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems World Heritage site in France took a proactive step to safeguard its coral reefs with the launch of its first strategic reef resilience plan. The strategy brings all partners across the World Heritage-listed coral reef together behind a shared future for the reef. It is expected to boost climate change ...

On 26 September 2023, global marine protected area (MPA) practitioners met online with global experts, who shared firsthand insights about how blue carbon credits work, what incites businesses to invest, what a high-quality blue carbon project looks like, and how to assess viability as a sustainable financing stream in support of marine conservation. Marine World Heritage sites, and MPAs ...

Last July, students joined an environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign in the ocean areas bordering the pebble beaches of the Península Valdés World Heritage site, as part of the global eDNA expeditions that UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. Water samples were collected from 5 ...

From 3 to 6 May 2023, 11 students aged 10 to 14 from the Banc d'Arguin National Park UNESCO World Heritage site participated in UNESCO's Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign, as part of a global effort to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. Eleven young people from the 4 schools in the park’s coastal villages of Mamghar, R'Gueiba, Teichott and Iwik ...

High school children from rural villages travelled to iSimangaliso Wetland Park to sample South Africa’s unique World Heritage-listed marine area as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. In the early morning of 19 April 2023, children from three high ...

Scientists and rangers from the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) undertook an expedition to the Archipiélago de Revillagigedo World Heritage site in Mexico to collect marine baseline information, including environmental DNA (eDNA) samples as part of the eDNA sampling campaigns currently piloted by UNESCO across 25 marine World Heritage sites. From 16 to 26 April 2023, ...

Young Philippine volunteers journeyed overnight to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park to take eDNA samples at the remote World Heritage site, located in the centre of the Sulu Sea. The sampling was part of the global eDNA expeditions initiative that UNESCO currently coordinates across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. On 13 ...

Students from villages near the Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park sampled Sudan’s unique World Heritage listed marine area as part of the global eDNA expeditions UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. On 9 and 10 April 2023, 8 students from primary and secondary schools ...

Students from Senior High School in Miami, Florida joined scientists from Everglades National Park World Heritage site to participate in UNESCO's Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign, as part of a global effort to sample and record marine biodiversity across 25 marine World Heritage Sites. On 7 April 2023, under a warm Florida sun and a pleasant breeze, six students aged 15-17-year-old ...

From 5 to 12 April 2023, fisheries officers and community researchers defied choppy seas while collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) samples across the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. The local sampling is part of the global eDNA expeditions initiative that UNESCO currently conducts across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate ...

Earlier this month, Ningaloo Coast UNESCO World Heritage site in Australia released a pioneering resilient reefs strategy that is aimed at securing the long-term conservation of the coral reef and its communities in a rapidly changing climate. The strategy takes a uniquely holistic view of the threats facing Ningaloo Reef together with the needs of local communities and businesses and ...

Throughout March 2023, members of New Caledonia's World Heritage site associations and management committees joined the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) and the New Caledonian Biodiversity Agency (ANCB) to take part in UNESCO's environmental DNA sampling campaign, as part of a global effort to sample and reference marine biodiversity in 25 marine World ...

On 14 February 2023, 20 students aged 8 to 11 years old from Lord Howe Island Group became marine scientists for the day. In doing so, they joined UNESCO’s global environmental DNA research initiative that is being rolled out across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the impacts of climate change. The day commenced with classroom activities, where ...

Panamanian children from Santa Catalina and nearby communities ventured out to Coiba National Park to sample the World Heritage area’s rich marine waters as part of the global eDNA expeditions that UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change thereupon. On 7 February 2023, amidst a beautiful sunny ...

On 9 and 10 November 2022, local youth aged 6 to 12 years at Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves World Heritage site joined the UNESCO environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling campaign as part of a global effort to better understand how climate change is affecting marine biodiversity.Amidst sea turtle and dolphin sightings, local children collected water ...

Early morning of 6 December 2022, Costa Rican Park rangers & volunteers sailed out to Cocos Island National Park to filter environmental DNA (eDNA) from the water. The local sampling is part of the global eDNA expeditions initiative that UNESCO currently conducts across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change ...

From 21 to 26 September 2022, nearly 100 youth from local schools collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples across the Wadden Sea World Heritage area as part of a global UNESCO initiative to better understand how climate change is affecting marine biodiversity. Ocean species shed DNA into the water around them in the form of genetic material from waste, mucus or cells. Just one liter of ...

On 13 July 2022, experts in coral bleaching preparedness and local management teams from UNESCO World Heritage coral reefs met online to share best practices to recognize bleaching alerts and rapidly deploy monitoring and evaluation measures during such events. Coral reefs have been increasingly exposed to heat stress in recent years due to rising temperatures that result from climate ...

Paris, 17 May 2022 – The Principality of Monaco and UNESCO signed today a new 3-year partnership to strengthen the scientific research of marine sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List and to pave the way for the use of carbon credit to help finance sites’ conservation efforts. The new 3-year partnership will explore how carbon credit can help finance on-site conservation action at select ...