“Protect the oceans like your life depends on it, because it does.”
Sylvia Earle, world-renowned marine biologist, told a packed room at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in October.
Luckily, Synchronicity Earth has the pleasure of working with many people and partners who have dedicated their lives to preserving our oceans and we’ve been delighted to watch their efforts result in remarkable achievements and real change throughout 2025. To celebrate, here’s some of our favourite success stories for ocean conservation from the past year.
From saving species to saving lives in the Bay of Bengal
Despite once having spanned the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans in large numbers, sawfishes have now disappeared from 59% of the world’s coastal waters. Populations of sawfishes, guitarfishes and several other rays are declining due to overfishing and loss of habitat, and recovery has been difficult due to slow reproductive cycles and lack of information and specific conservation efforts.
After a long time getting to know local fishers and building trust, the Bengal Elasmo Lab piloted giving fishers communication and data collection devices in return for committing to releasing any Critically Endangered guitarfish they catch.
What began as a small pilot has already had wider impact. Fishers quickly began releasing other threatened species that are not a target of their fishing, as well as many guitarfish.
Then there was a serious incident: having experienced engine trouble far from shore, one of the lab’s partner boats was dangerously drifting. This boat was able to use its device to contact the Bengal Elasmo Lab team, who easily located and with the help of other community members and a fishing vessel arranged for rescue. The team now receive eager requests from fishing communities wanting to join the programme – good news for fishers and biodiversity!
A guitarfish being released into the sea after an accidental catch. Image © Bengal Elasmo Lab
Seagrass solutions in the Andaman Sea
Travelling across the Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Sea, our seagrass restoration partner Save Andaman Network (SAN) have developed an innovative solution to their problem of… hungry turtles.
In 2023, after a successful planting season of restoring seagrass beds, an abnormal migration of sea turtles resulted in the loss of all seedlings.
After taking time to assess the situation, SAN tested a new approach to protect their restored seagrass beds using ‘seagrass conservation pens’ – netted structures that protect areas of seagrass from grazing while they’re still growing and establishing themselves.
In consultation and collaboration with their community partners, SAN has set up pens across four village sites and monitored their effectiveness over the past year. These pens have proved to be hugely successful, allowing the seagrass inside the pens to grow long and healthy, a step closer to rebuilding this important ecosystem.
A seagrass conservation pen installed over a planting site to protect it from grazing. Image © SAN
Amplifying voices at the UN Ocean Conference
In June, our Ocean Programme lead, Anna Heath, attended the UN Ocean Conference in Nice alongside 11 of our partners.
Synchronicity Earth was able to leverage our accredited status with the UN to offer attendance badges to four representatives from the Ocean Voices Programme, allowing them to engage directly in the conversations at the UN Ocean Conference.
Alumita Talei Sekinairai, one of the Ocean Voices representatives who was supported by Synchronicity Earth said “It was a privilege to attend the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, with the support of the Synchronicity Earth badge, which provided valuable visibility and access to high-level sessions and partner networks.
“A key takeaway was a message from Mr. Mitsuyuku Unno of The Nippon Foundation: “Rather than viewing the ocean as 90% undiscovered, let us see it as 90% untapped potential – for innovation, possibilities, and solutions.”
Anna Heath (Ocean Programme Lead, far right) with three of the Ocean Voices delegates using Synchronicity Earth badges. Left to right: Gail Sant, Dr Harriet Harden Davies, and Kahlil Jonathan Hassanali. Image © Anna Heath/Synchronicity Earth
Dr Kristina Gjerde launches Ocean Stewardship Award
At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the late Dr Kristina Gjerde – a renowned marine conservationist, tireless advocate for the high and deep seas, and dear friend and colleague – announced the Ocean Stewardship Award.
The award was created to recognise and empower early-career change-makers committed to safeguarding the high and deep seas. It provides not only financial support, but also mentorship, training, and access to an international network of experienced experts working at the forefront of global ocean conservation.
Given Synchronicity Earth’s long-term support of Kristina’s work, and the shared commitment of our Ocean Programme to protecting the high and deep seas, our team was honoured to partner with Kristina and her family in establishing this award, and we remain committed to carrying forward her legacy.
As Kristina said at the time: “The younger generation are the greatest hope for the planet, and I would like to help reward, nurture, and support early-career global ocean advocates through this new award.”
Kristina (right) launches the Ocean Stewardship Award at the IUCN World Conservation Congress alongside Jessica Sweidan, Synchronicity Earth Co-Founder and Trustee. Image © Geanie Cresswell/Synchronicity Earth
A historic milestone: High Seas Treaty coming into force
Speaking of Kristina’s lasting impact for ocean protection, which includes being one of the long-term advocates for the High Seas Treaty and co-Founders of the High Seas Alliance, we have to finish this list with the news that in September, the High Seas Treaty reached 60 ratifications – the threshold it needed to officially enter into force. This will happen 17 January 2026.
This follows two decades of advocacy and collaboration by governments, NGOs, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, young people, and funders. Huge credit goes to the High Seas Alliance for building a highly successful campaign that drove this milestone forward from its early inception to the final ratification (the alliance won the Earthshot Prize this year!).
For people around the world, it marked a moment of hope in creating, for the first time, a definite path towards a global legal framework to protect the marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction which cover nearly half of the planet. For Synchronicity Earth, it reflected a decade of commitment. Since 2014, we’ve supported a tapestry of organisations with the science and policy knowledge needed to make this change possible and are delighted to see pledges finally turn to action.
Manta rays are an iconic fish species associated with the open ocean which can be found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. Image © Shutterstock
Looking ahead
With 2026 opening with this pioneering piece of ocean policy coming into effect, we are buoyed with optimism for what can continue to be achieved by marine conservationists working from the grassroots level all the way up to policy.
There is no one way, no ‘silver bullet’ to saving our ocean. We need people of all different skill sets, and all kinds of approaches, but the good news is that, when these people come together and have the resources, incredible achievements are possible.
Synchronicity Earth’s Ocean Programme specialises in the conservation of particularly overlooked species and ecosystems, such as the sawfishes, seagrasses, and high seas mentioned above.
Our Neptune Endowment provides a mechanism for multi-year funding for our partners, which enables them to plan strategically and work on lasting long-term solutions.
If you are interested in making a donation which will strengthen global efforts to protect the ocean in this critical period of history, please contact our Philanthropy team.
