It represents a milestone for the protection of our oceans: on Thursday 12 November, the government of Tristan da Cunha declared the archipelago in the middle of the South Atlantic the world's fourth-largest marine protected area.
According to National Geographic, approximately 250 people live on the archipelago, sharing the waters of this British Overseas Territory with several million seabirds, as well as whales and sharks. Volcanic oceanic islands such as this are true oases for a diverse range of marine life. Located halfway between South America and South Africa, numerous species find shelter and food here along kelp- and coral-covered coastal strips. Tristan da Cunha is also considered an important nursery ground for the blue shark (Prionace glauca) of the South Atlantic. 687,247 km² of these waters are now designated as a "no-take" zone, where neither fishing nor any other form of exploitation will be permitted.
"One of the smallest communities in the world is able to make the greatest contribution to global marine protection this year", says Dr Enric Sala of Pristine Seas, who was instrumentally involved in researching the ecosystem.
