Marine protected areas play a vital role in addressing climate change, safeguarding ecosystems, and promoting research and education.
Ocean acidification; overfishing; marine heat waves; expansion of oxygen minimum zones; marine plastic pollution; deep sea mining- the threats to our ocean environment are many; however, there is a growing international consensus that these are global problems requiring large-scale global solutions.

To meet these growing challenges, several international initiatives, both by governments and eNGOs have been launched. Most recently, the successful UN negotiation for a new international treaty for the governance of the high seas was concluded in 2023 with a goal to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

Developing and maintaining these areas will require collaboration between governments, local communities, scientists, and conservation organizations.

Ocean Policy: Marine Protected Areas provides students the opportunity to utilize scientific research to understand evidence-based policies and regulations that guide ocean conservation and management.

During the shore component in Tahiti, students will learn from local communities and organizations about the ongoing efforts to establish and maintain marine protected areas within the region. Students will examine case studies to better understand how the integration of traditional ecological knowledge provides successful policy framework. Students will learn skills in oceanographic research, and the use of satellite remote sensing techniques for research and monitoring of the high seas.

While sailing from Tahiti to Fiji, students will gain hands on experience by deploying scientific equipment and analyzing samples in the lab aboard the SSV Robert C. Seamans. Data collected from the voyage will be shared with partner governments and institutions to contribute to their on-going data sets and to initiate new monitoring to understand future changes both in and outside of large scale Marine Protected Areas.