2021 was a year of growth and changes for Blue Pangolin Consulting. If the past year had to be summarised in 4 words, it would be people, MPAs, corals, and publications.
People
The Blue Pangolin family continued to grow by welcoming two new members to the team, Tom joined in March, and was followed by Marie in November. Learn more about Tom and Marie and their roles at Blue Pangolin here.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Francis and Tom produced a very detailed assessment for the Blue Action Fund to support the establishment, and increase the management effectiveness, of Marine protected Areas (MPA) in the Western and Southern Caribbean. Following this study, the Blue Action Fund Board decided to open a Call for Proposals in 2022 for the region. Learn more here.
The Blue Pangolin team developed a feasibility study for the implementation of a dedicated conservation trust fund for No-Take Zones in the Mediterranean, on behalf of the MAVA Foundation and the MedFund. It culminated in the creation of a new initiative called the Highly Protected Mediterranean Initiative (HPMI). Learn more here.
Tom was selected as one of 16 Young Professional Committee members for the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5). Tom will work with the IMPAC5 Youth Committee to ensure that young leaders from the international marine protected area (MPA) community, Indigenous groups and other related backgrounds will be heard at IMPAC5 and beyond. Learn more here.
Francis joined the review team to support the development of the Congress agenda, and is one of the lead editors for the upcoming “Status of West African Marine Protected Areas 2021” to be released at IMPAC5.
Coral Reefs
Throughout the year, the Blue Pangolin team supported the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), as part of its role as the Designated Administrative Representative for the ICRI Secretariat. Some highlights of this support included:
- contributing to the development of the Plan of Action for 2021-2024
- organising many online events, including the handover ceremony which was attended by H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco, or the recent 36th General Meeting.
- overseeing the work of ICRI’s three ad hoc committees, which are working the Post-2020 Coral Reef Target, Reef Restoration and Resilience-Based Management
- Managing ICRI’s communication on different platforms (website, social media, newsletter)
Moreover, Francis, co-authored, and Tom participated in a pivotal report on the status and trends of coral reefs worldwide, the sixth edition of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2020 report. Learn more here.
Francis continued to support to the French Coral Reef initiative (IFRECOR).
A productive year for publications
Throughout 2021, the Blue Pangolin team has co-authored, supported, and been acknowledged in numerous reports and publications, such as:
- A report on the global funding landscape for coral reef restoration
- A whitepaper on the Ocean x Climate Nexus, by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
- A report on rebuilding coral reefs, by the International Coral Reef Society (ICRS)
Learn more about the publications we have participated in here.
Throughout 2021, the Blue Pangolin Team carried a wide range of projects, expanded its network, and helped advance marine conservation efforts globally. Now the team looks forward to building on this momentum in 2022.
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