MPA Day 2024 grows into a global ocean conservation movement

Thousands across the globe joined in celebrating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Day on 1 August and into the weekend. From South Africa to Sweden and beyond, these ‘nature reserves of the sea’ were celebrated with more than 30 activities organised, emanating from this South African-born event.

“MPA Day 2024 was certainly the biggest celebration we have ever had and is now established as a global celebration,” said Dr Judy Mann, Founder of MPA Day, and the Executive of Strategic Projects at The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation. “When I saw via social media the range of organisations involved, I was both amazed and humbled. Across the planet, people created infographics and videos and shared them, organised and ran activities for people of all ages, and planned and hosted online events.

“From dives to clean-ups, lessons to walks, presentations to scientific research, webinars to virtual tours, games to swims – thousands of people had the opportunity this year to explore and enjoy and importantly learn about protecting the ocean. MPAs will work with community support, and by growing the MPA Day community we are building support for these incredible islands of hope in the ocean.”

In South Africa, where 5% of the ocean is protected by 41 MPAs, there were around 11 MPA Day events extending across the coastline. Adventure Mania in Sodwana Bay on the KZN North Coast hosted presentations, a beach clean-up, a scavenger hunt, and snorkelling for children from the local school. At uThukela MPA, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife hosted a walk through the mangroves for learners, while in the Eastern Cape close to the Addo Elephant MPA participants explored the local rocky shores.

The Two Oceans Aquarium, together with I Am Water, also hosted a Rocky Shore Explore at Dalebrook and coordinated a beach cleanup and surf-out with Surf Emporium at Muizenberg.

“We were thrilled to see the turnout of people for the Rocky Shore Explore – families and even groups of students joined the activities and were fascinated by the marine life they discovered. One father enthused that he and his family had waited all year for MPA Day and that he loves exploring as much as his children do,” said Helen Lockhart, Conservation and Sustainability Manager for the Two Oceans Aquarium.

Plett Shark Spotters gave a guided nature hike and a collaborative educational outreach with ORCA Foundation and Nature Valley’s Trust. Another collaborative effort with Dyer Island Conservation Trust resulted in a Rocky Shore Explore of the diverse marine life followed by a beach clean-up.

And for those not from the coast, there were plenty of online MPA Day activities to enjoy. Starting with a well-attended webinar on the MPA Guide organised by HELCOM, followed by several seminars, a virtual tour of some MPAs and ending with another webinar, hosted by LCA Africa.

On the KZN South Coast, Ocean Festival hosted an Aliwal Shoal MPA & Hope Spot explore walk, collecting valuable data and conducting research into the condition of the MPA & Hope Spot in partnership with ORI, SAAMBR, and Wild Alliance Africa.

Ocean Festival Founder, Russel Symcox, said MPA Day was well-supported by local communities. “We were blessed with brilliant conditions; the ocean was alive with so much wildlife and the whole point was to travel the length of the MPA and learn as much as we could. We were fortunate to have the Durban Metro Coastal Patrol Unit in supporting the conservation efforts and representatives from the SAPS Search and Rescue Unit, and from the NSRI. It’s great to see MPA Day growing into an international event as there’s a need to protect and educate around the MPAs. There was a huge amount of plastic so we call on others to get involved in beach clean-ups so we hope this event grows year on year.”

With the help of the Mission Blue team and HELCOM, many events beyond the South African shores were held including beach clean-ups, no-plastic campaigns, dives, presentations and more. Host countries included activities in the Philippines, Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, St. Helena Island and more. For more about the amazing range of activities – have a look at MPA Day 2024 (storymaps.com)

Explaining the significance of MPAs and events such as these, Mission Blue Chief Scientist, Tessa Hempson commented: "MPAs are essential for the resilience and health of the ocean. They provide critical refuges where marine life can thrive, supporting biodiversity and ecosystem health. Investing in and expanding MPAs is essential for preserving the intricate balance of our marine environments and securing the long-term health of our planet."

Learn more about MPA Day 2024 by visiting Get Involved (mpaday.org). Join in the discussions around MPAs on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or Facebook.

The partners involved in MPA Day are Two Oceans Aquarium, Flow Communications, Olivia Jones Communications, WildOceans (a programme of WildTrust), WWF South Africa, CapeNature, Adventure Mania, Mission Blue, HELCOM, Ezemvelo-KZN Wildlife, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Save Our Seas Shark Centre, Plett Shark Spotters, Dyer Island Conservation Trust, Youth4MPAs, The Ocean Advocate, Justice4Jaws, Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and others.