Enric Sala

Feb 11, 2025 | nature.com | Reniel B. Cabral |Juan Pablo Mayorga |Tia Kordell |Alicia M. Caughman |Anna Schuhbauer |Octavio Aburto-Oropeza | +5 more

Marine and coastal tourism deliver economic benefits to coastal communities that far surpass those generated by fisheries, yet its potential contribution to global marine conservation remains underexamined. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) help restore biodiversity and enhance nearby fisheries, but their direct tourism benefits are not well understood. Here, we estimate the global demand for recreational scuba dive tourism, map the distribution and protection status of all marine dive sites globally, and develop a bioeconomic model to estimate the revenue gains from upgrading unprotected dive sites to fully protected MPAs. We estimate that 33.1 million scuba dives occur annually in marine environments worldwide, with 70% taking place within MPAs. However, only 15% of these MPA-affiliated dive sites are highly or fully protected. We show that designating all unprotected recreational dive sites, representing less than 1% of the global ocean, as highly or fully protected MPAs would improve fish biomass and biodiversity while generating an additional US$2 billion per year in direct tourism revenue (not including economic multipliers). Importantly, 62% of marine diving currently occurs in developing countries, underscoring the potential for dive tourism to support both marine conservation and local livelihoods in regions where such benefits are most needed.

Dec 20, 2024 | thediplomat.com | Enric Sala

Just when we think there are no major discoveries left to be made on our planet, we find a natural wonder slowly growing beneath the waves for centuries – the world’s largest coral reported to date, a massive shoulder blade coral (Pavona clavus), bigger than a blue whale. Formed by nearly 1 billion identical tiny creatures, it is thriving in the Solomon Islands’ Three Sisters region.

Aug 27, 2024 | nature.com | Enric Sala

CORRESPONDENCE 27 August 2024 The Selvagens Islands Nature Reserve in Portugal’s Madeira region is Europe’s largest fully protected marine area, having been expanded in 2021 to 2,677 square kilometres, an area larger than Luxembourg (F. Alves et al. Nature 601, 318; 2022). But a decision by the regional authorities to reverse a commitment to ban fishing there puts one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic Ocean at risk (A. M. Friedlander et al.

Sep 20, 2023 | nature.com | Enric Sala |Trisha B. Atwood |Arnaud Auber |William Cheung |Christopher Costello |Steven Gaines | +8 more

replying to D. Ovando et al.

Jun 8, 2023 | context.news | Enric Sala

More than 80% of the EU’s habitats are in poor condition because of development and industrial activities, from road-building to industrial agriculture. Studies have warned there are not enough wild places left in the EU to sustain food production and climate resilience. Last year, at the historic biodiversity negotiations in Montreal, the EU helped push through a global proposal to protect 30% of the land and ocean by 2030.