Cover image: Alex Hearn In January 2025, a team of scientists from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and Galápagos Science Center (USFQ-GSC) and the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) carried out a two-week expedition to Paramount: a shallow-water seamount rising from a depth of over 1,500 m to only 180 m below the surface, located 100 nautical miles northeast of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The objective of the expedition was to characterize the fish community around the seamount and explore its connections with Galápagos. The work was supported by the organizations Mission Blue, Ga ..read more

Cover image: Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot Dedication Overstrand, South Africa – The Cape Whale Coast on South Africa’s Western Cape stretches over 200 kilometers of coastline from Rooi Els to Quoin Point. A region of striking natural beauty, the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot hosts a complex coastline of estuaries, beaches, and bays. Offshore, the convergence of the warm Agulhas Current and the cold Benguela Upwelling creates a nutrient-rich environment that sustains a wide diversity of marine life, including important breeding areas for the endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus).  “S ..read more

Cover image: Aliwal Shoal Hope Spot. Credit: Allen Walker The South African coastline is home to seven Hope Spots. Six of these – False Bay, Cape Whale Coast, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Algoa Bay, and Aliwal Shoal – were designated in 2014, while Maputaland, a transboundary Hope Spot spanning both South Africa and Mozambique, was designated in 2024.These areas host an important array of species and habitats, including the Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis), the only endemic seahorse species in South Africa; the largest gannetry in the world, with 250,000 breeding pairs; one of the most impor ..read more

Cover image: Allen Walker Photography.  Durban, South Africa – Aliwal Shoal Hope Spot, one of South Africa’s most famous dive sites and a Marine Protected Area (MPA), is located just 50 km south of Durban and 5 km off the coast of Umkomaas on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South Coast. Originally designated in 2014 as part of a suite of South African Hope Spots, Mission Blue is pleased to announce the re-launch in February 2025 of Aliwal Shoal as a Hope Spot. Congratulations to Russel Symcox, local resident and Founder of Wild Alliance Africa, who will take the helm as the new Champion to contin ..read more

Cover image: Blue stingray, Helen Walne.  Knysna, South Africa – On South Africa’s Western Cape lies the Knysna Hope Spot, a unique region containing an important estuary, the marine coastline and offshore waters. Spanning the region from Buffel’s Bay to Sparrebosch and including the Goukamma Marine Protected Area (MPA), this biodiverse marine, coastal and estuarine system plays a pivotal role as an essential breeding ground for coastal fish species, along with the endangered Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis), South Africa’s only endemic seahorse species. International marine co ..read more

Cover image: Robberg Nature Reserve, Mission Blue. Plettenberg, South Africa – Located along South Africa’s Southern Cape is the Plett Hope Spot, encompassing a sheltered ocean bay and linking Robberg Peninsula Marine Protected Area (MPA) to the edge of the oldest MPA in South Africa,  the Tsitsikamma. This spectacular stretch of coastline is home to a remarkable array of marine species, including the endangered humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) and colonies of iconic Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus). With its diverse ecosystems, including rocky reefs, sandy beaches, estuaries ..read more

Cover image © Sustainable Seas Trust Algoa Bay, South Africa – Algoa Bay on South Africa’s Eastern Cape is one of the country’s largest bays, opening into the Indian Ocean. It is home to several of the world’s largest breeding colonies of critically endangered African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), the largest pods of bottlenose dolphins in the world and the famous sardine run, the largest migration of the planet. Bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone, Algoa Bay is a highly productive marine ecosystem due to the presence of the Benguela Upwelling system, whic ..read more

Featured image: African penguins. Credit: Steve Benjamin. The beloved black-and-white African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) needs your help! Endemic to the southern African coastline, the African penguin’s population has plummeted from 1.5–3 million individuals in the early 1900s to just over 8,000 breeding pairs in 2023. This dramatic decline is due to overfishing and environmental impacts which has caused populations of fish to crash, leaving the penguins struggling for food. Recently uplisted to Critically Endangered, the African penguin is at risk of becoming functionally extinct in the wi ..read more

Cover image © Two Oceans Aquarium Western Australia, November 5, 2024 – After over 30 years of advocacy and three years of consultation, the South Coast Marine Park is now a reality. Spanning 1,000 kilometers of Western Australia’s southern coastline, the new marine park encompasses two Mission Blue Hope Spots. Australia’s Great Southern Reef, a vast network of interconnected marine ecosystems, is home to thousands of unique marine species, including marine mammals, sharks, kelp forests and many invertebrates. This is the first sanctuary protection for the ecologically rich environment of the ..read more

Cover image © Andy Mann PONTA DELGADA, AZORES, PORTUGAL — The Autonomous Region of the Azores is making waves in marine conservation by establishing the largest network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the North Atlantic. This historic initiative safeguards 30% of the marine environment surrounding the Azores Archipelago, covering an impressive 287,000 square kilometers. Mission Blue recognized the waters of the Azores Archipelago as a Hope Spot in 2021, advocating for a coherent network of marine protected areas extending from the surface to the deep seafloor. Dr. Sylvia Earle shared, “The ..read more