The world agreed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 – but marine protection can’t be judged by area alone
So far, about 10% of the ocean has formal protection as countries work toward the 30x30 goal, but many areas are still protected on paper only.
Ana K. Spalding, Director of the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative & Staff Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution·Jun 16, 2026