Hope Spots are ecologically unique areas of the ocean designated for protection under a global conservation campaign[1] overseen by Mission Blue, a non-profit organization founded by Sylvia Earle with her 2009 TED prize wish.[2]
Hope Spots can be Marine Protected Areas (MPA) that need attention or new sites. They are chosen for their contributions to biodiversity, the carbon sink, and important habitat. Hope Spot status is intended to alleviate the pressures human resource extraction places on the ocean by making the site higher priority to become an MPA, where resource extraction, like fishing and drilling, may be forbidden under law.[3]
There are 140 Hope Spots worldwide (as of June,2022).[4] An additional 22 nominations for Hope Spots are currently under consideration and three nominations have been deferred.[3]
At the time of Earle's wish, less than 1% of the ocean was protected. Earle advocated for the creation of a system of parks like the national park system in the United States. The goal of the Hope Spot campaign is raise public support, gain the attention of leaders and policy makers, and ultimately create enough Hope Spots to protect 20% of the ocean by 2020.[2]
I wish you would use all means at your disposal — films! expeditions! the web! new submarines! — to create a campaign to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, Hope Spots large enough to save and restore the blue heart of the planet. —Sylvia Earle
Since September 9, 2016, nominations for Hope Spots have been open to the public.[5] Following the completion of the Hope Spot nomination form found on Mission Blue's website, a proposed Hope Spot is evaluated to assess its validity. The Hope Spots Council, composed of marine scientists and policy experts, examine new nominations twice a year and choose which sites to designate as Hope Spots.[6]
Mission Blue has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and receives support from National Geographic, Rolex, and Google. To increase access and promote the campaign, Google has added Hope Spots to its platform enabling users to explore the sites.[4] A Google-powered map of Hope Spots can be found on Mission Blue's website.[3]
