Ivatan Fisheries Professionals

WHY FISH LENGTH MATTERS?

It's a floating ecosystem that supports fish, crabs, turtles, and juvenile marine species. Out in the open ocean, it plays a valuable ecological role.

🔬 FIND YOUR PLANKTON MATCH

Can one missing species affect an entire ecosystem?

🌊 Not all nature-based solutions protect coasts equally.

🌊 Not all nature-based solutions protect coasts equally.

Reefs and mangroves can significantly reduce wave heights and coastal flood risk, but their effectiveness depends on a complex mix of ecological and physical factors.

To understand their true protective value, we must look beyond their presence and examine the conditions that shape how they function.

🪸 Healthy coral reefs with steep foreshores, high rugosity, and wide reef flats dissipate far more wave energy than degraded reefs.

🌱Mangroves with dense canopies, robust root systems, and sufficient forest width slow waves dramatically.

By recognising these drivers of effectiveness, we can:
✅ Build more accurate coastal risk assessments
✅ Strengthen adaptation and resilience planning
✅ Inform insurance products that reflect real-world protective benefits
✅ Prioritise restoration where it matters most

Read the full study➡️ https://ow.ly/sHTL50XzVEZ

The Reef's under pressure. Small choices on the water can make a big difference.

👀 Did you know?

👀 Did you know?

Sea urchins don’t have eyes, yet they can see. Some species use their entire bodies as a giant compound eye, relying on light‑sensitive cells in their tube feet and skin to detect shapes, predators, and even approaching shadows. Scientists have shown that sea urchins may use these distributed light‑receptor cells like a retina, turning their whole body into a visual organ.

This astonishing ability is just one reminder of how diverse and surprising ocean life can be, and how much we still have to learn.

That’s why the work of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO on ocean science is so essential.

🔵 The IOC coordinates global ocean observing systems, ocean research, and the data they generate, ensuring that knowledge about complex marine organisms, from sea urchins to microscopic plankton, feeds directly into better understanding and decision‑making.

With 153 Member States collaborating to strengthen evidence‑based governance, and 120,000+ daily ocean observations supporting climate and ecosystem monitoring, the IOC is helping drive the science needed to understand life in the ocean and protect it.

🔵 The IOC works to ensure that ocean science powers real‑world action, from biodiversity monitoring to sustainable management.
Because better science means better stewardship.

Discover how IOC turns ocean science and knowledge into action 🔗 https://www.ioc.unesco.org/en/articles/ioc-turning-ocean-science-action

📷 Kogia - Cedric Dageville

🌊 The Philippines has one of the world's longest coastlines, with most of its 80 provinces located along coastal areas. Its coral reefs are among the largest in Southeast Asia.

💙These coastal and marine ecosystems are a source of both climate protection and livelihoods for millions of Filipinos.

🔴They are also some of the most at risk.

📈Our investments today will shape our coastal and marine futures.

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The Blue Economy Investment Philippines is an initiative of the Accelerating Green and Climate Finance in the Philippines: Nature-based Solutions (AGCF) Project, funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines in partnership with the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other key government agencies. Rare is supporting UNDP to develop and implement the Blue Economy Investment initiative.

Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the balance of our oceans and the health of marine life. By protecting them, we help ensure a thriving future for our planet. Join Fins Attached Marine Research & Conservation in our mission to safeguard these incredible creatures and preserve our oceans for generations to come.

Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the balance of our oceans and the health of marine life. By protecting them, we help ensure a thriving future for our planet. Join Fins Attached Marine Research & Conservation in our mission to safeguard these incredible creatures and preserve our oceans for generations to come.

Support our work by donating or learning more at https://finsattached.org/ways-to-give/. Your contribution directly supports essential marine research and conservation efforts.

40 species. One global signal: the urgency to act is growing.

At the close of , governments agreed to strengthen protection for 40 migratory species and populations, adding or upgrading them under the Convention’s Appendices.

From the great hammerhead shark and giant otter, to the snowy owl, striped hyena and multiple shorebirds, these listings reflect mounting evidence: migratory species across ecosystems are under increasing pressure.

These decisions matter.

They trigger coordinated international action, aligning countries along shared migratory routes and strengthening the policy framework needed to halt declines.

But COP15 also delivered a clear message: the gap is no longer in commitments, but in implementation.

Effective conservation now depends on translating global agreements into funded, on-the-ground action at scale.

Through its grantmaking model, IUCN Save Our Species supports this shift, channeling resources to local partners, aligning with CMS priorities, and delivering measurable impact across landscapes.

Read more on how SOS is supporting implementation under CMS: https://info.iucn.org/4tpOZJv

Marine protected areas are more than biodiversity havens. They preserve heritage, sustain livelihoods, increase ecosystem resilience to climate change, and inspire research and discovery.