Marine ecosystems face threats from human-induced stressors like climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. Despite international endeavors, significant gaps remain in understanding ocean dynamics. This article presents six policy recommendations to integrate plankton populations into conservation frameworks. These could be leveraged in the process approved at CBD’s COP16 in Colombia to update criteria for defining ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) and supporting science-based Marine Protected Area (MPA) designations.
Esteban-Cantillo, O.J., Abreu, A., Bourgeois-Gironde, S. et al. Six key policy recommendations to advocate for marine conservation that matches the ocean’s dynamism. npj Ocean Sustain 4, 50 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00151-4
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