The ocean is the Earth’s biggest life support system, and healthy marine ecosystems are essential for human survival and well-being. As a leader in the global movement to protect vast ocean areas, Marine Conservation Institute uses the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems, advocate for their protection, and measure progress toward effective, sustainable marine protection. Our priority is to help create an urgently-needed worldwide system of Blue Parks, or recognized highly protected areas, to ensure the future diversity and abundance of marine life. To encourage meaningful progress and accurately reflect the current state of marine protection, we also developed and actively maintain the world’s most comprehensive online marine protected area database, the Marine Protection Atlas.