{"id":40093007,"date":"2023-02-09T16:20:51","date_gmt":"2023-02-09T16:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadialogueocean.net\/?p=93007"},"modified":"2023-03-07T16:51:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:51:26","slug":"enric-sala-when-we-give-space-to-the-ocean-it-comes-back-spectacularly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/ocean\/enric-sala-when-we-give-space-to-the-ocean-it-comes-back-spectacularly\/","title":{"rendered":"Enric Sala: \u2018When we give space to the ocean, it comes back spectacularly\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Enric Sala is both a leading ocean explorer and a visionary. Originally an academic, he grew tired of \u201cwriting the obituary of ocean life\u201d, and decided to start a new career finding ways to protect it. He approached National Geographic with an idea for a project that would \u201ccombine exploration, research and media to inspire governments to create marine reserves\u201d. Appointed a National Geographic fellow, he launched his Pristine Seas<\/a> initiative in 2008. Fifteen years on, the project has helped drive the creation of 26 marine protected areas (MPAs) covering more than 6.5 million square kilometres of ocean.* <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Enric<\/div>
Enric Sala at the UN Ocean Conference in Portugal last year (Image: Regina Lam \/ China Dialogue Ocean)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Under the Pristine Seas banner, Sala has travelled the world examining all sorts of different ocean ecosystems. He has studied everything from microbes and algae to large marine mammals, and he\u2019s reached places very few humans have been before. These experiences have shown him how important and beneficial it is to protect the world\u2019s marine environments, and given him evidence to convince politicians that changes need to be made. And he is succeeding. He considers himself an optimist, and as he told China Dialogue Ocean, he even dreams of one day taking Chinese President Xi Jinping on an expedition to the bottom of the ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught up with Sala in June at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, to talk about his expedition<\/a> earlier in the year to the Pacific and Caribbean waters of Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"map<\/div>
Note: The map only shows the protected areas mentioned in this article. The islands of Serranilla and Bajo Nuevo are currently administered by Colombia but in an area disputed by Nicaragua.\u00a0(Data source: Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia<\/a>; Graphic: Ed Harrison<\/a> \/ China Dialogue Ocean)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

China Dialogue Ocean: Can you tell us about your expedition?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Enric Sala:<\/strong> We went to provide scientific research to inform the process of creating several MPAs that the Colombian government committed to as part of their plan to protect 30% of their waters \u2013 not by 2030, but before<\/em> 2030. We\u2019re talking eight years before the deadline. The expedition was fantastic, we were able to explore deep reefs with our submersible. We found an extraordinary abundance of deep-sea fish that were larger than anybody thought. Also, deep coral systems that had never been described before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this area important to study?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Colombia has this gem, Malpelo Island, which is protected as a large marine sanctuary. We were able to survey the areas around the sanctuary. Malpelo sits on top of an underwater ridge. It\u2019s the only part of that ancient ridge that actually breaks the surface. We explored underwater seamounts, and we were able to demonstrate that not only Malpelo, but Malpelo Ridge \u2013 the entire chain of underwater mountains \u00ad\u2013 is extremely important. Not only for the biodiversity that is there, but also for the endangered species that migrate between these protected islands: Malpelo in Colombia, Cocos Island in Costa Rica [and the] Gal\u00e1pagos Islands in Ecuador. And very often they follow these underwater ridges. We found incredible abundances of hammerhead sharks \u2013 on the surface, in the middle of nowhere, 200 metres over the top of seamounts. These are features that we cannot see from the surface, but animals can feel them, and they use them as a migratory highway, like stepping stones between islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n