A Sea of Good News 

Over the term, as Imperial students have been busy writing essays and lab reports, there have been multiple steps forward in marine conservation.  

In September, The High Seas Treaty was ratified by the Moroccan Government, marking the 60^th government to join this crucial international treaty. The treaty sets an international legal basis for marine conservation and also aims to create High Seas Sanctuaries. These are huge, protected areas in international waters that would shelter vulnerable species and protect biodiverse areas. They would also be an important step towards the goal of protecting a third of the ocean by 2030. Now the treaty has reached the required number of ratifications, it will come into effect in January 2026, after twenty years in the making. 

Earlier in 2025, several nations pledged to create new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in their national waters. Countries including Spain and São Tomé and Príncipe are set to create multiple MPAs, with French Polynesia aiming to create the world’s largest. Combined with the High Seas Treaty, these pledges mean the area of ocean protected from human impact is steadily growing. 

Furthermore, in October the IUCN World Conservation Congress voted in favour of precautionary measures to protect the mesopelagic zone of the ocean.  This is one of the first large-scale protections for an incredibly biodiverse part of the world’s oceans. Sometimes called the ‘twilight zone’, the mesopelagic zone lies between 200-1000m below the surface. It contains the majority of the world’s fish (by biomass) and many unique species. The protective measures include MPAs and the assessment of any commercial activities to prevent excess harm to the ecosystems. The mesopelagic zone is not currently commercially exploited, so these measures would ensure any projects are regulated before they begin.   

Also in October, the annual population estimate for the North Atlantic right whale, one of the most endangered marine species in the world, revealed a 7% population increase since 2020 thanks to conservation efforts and legal protections. These include implementing speed restrictions and adjusted routes for vessels to minimise collisions with whales and impacts of shipping noise, and close monitoring of populations. There are now an estimated 384 individuals, with 11 calves born this year. Although only a small increase, this is hope for an extremely vulnerable species and shows that conservation projects are moving things in the right direction.  

While the North Atlantic right whale is only just beginning to recover, the population of green turtles is steadily increasing and they are now classified as Least Concern under the updated IUCN Red List released in October. Previously classified as Endangered and at risk of extinction, the species is well on the road to recovery after decades of conservation work.  

In addition to these increases in legal protections and rising population numbers of endangered species, new technologies have the potential to enhance future conservation projects. 

Results published in October from trials in Mexico show that solar lights can help prevent sea turtles from becoming trapped in fishing nets. Lights attached to the nets themselves flash, allowing sea turtles to see and avoid them. Sea turtle bycatch fell by 63% when the lights were used in controlled experiments, providing hope that this technology could reduce sea turtle mortality considerably in the future.  

In November, the first tests of a new coral restoration technology were completed.  Larval seedboxes placed in damaged areas of reefs allow larvae to disperse via ocean currents. When this method is used, dispersal is slower and the larvae can spread over larger areas. Results suggest this technology could be capable of creating up to 56 times higher rates of coral settlement, making it a major step forward in repopulating damaged reef systems.  

While there is still a long way to go and many threats remain to our oceans, these stories show that with continued conservation efforts, there is always hope for the future.   

By Eloise Trawick on January 10, 2026.

Edited by Marina Milsum.