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 the Manufacture Blancpain – creator of the first modern diving watch – 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.
The Protectors ocean film series examines the cutting edge science and radical thinking at work in tackling the crisis facing the world’s seas. This series reflects the passion of those at the front line of marine biology, and tells the story of the challenge now confronting us as we explore the world’s oceans.
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?
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.
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.
Plastic pollution poses a major threat to ocean life. Meet the engineers who are using rubbish-guzzling boats to stem the flow at its source.