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    - Jeff Bezos / Photo via Amazon - |
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Published on Tuesday, June 28, 2022
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff and wire services
Currently,
only 7.93% of the ocean is zoned as
marine protected areas. According
to the fund, they will provide grants
totaling $30 million to support
organizations working in Costa Rica,
Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama in
strengthening the Eastern Tropical
Marine Corridor. By
creating a network of marine protected
areas covering more than
500,000-square-kilometers
(193,000-square-miles) and a
transboundary biosphere reserve, the
four countries' biological hotspots
will be connected and protected. These
grants are provided alongside those of
other members of the Connect to
Protect Eastern Tropical Pacific
Coalition. The coalition will work
alongside governments, local
communities, non-government
organizations, and scientists to help
establish a regional governance
structure, design, and implement
marine protected areas and the
biosphere reserve, and secure
long-term sustainable financing. "The
ocean is our planet's life support
system and a major carbon sink," said
Dr. Andrew Steer, president and CEO of
the Bezos Earth Fund. "Investing in
the ocean can be a powerful solution
to many major challenges. It can
protect vital marine ecosystems,
provide jobs, help local communities,
improve food security, and address
climate change. These commitments are
the first of many the Bezos Earth Fund
will make to support marine protection
in this decisive decade."
The Earth Fund's $20 million grant to the National Geographic Society's Pristine Seas will further advance the goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. With this support, the Pristine Seas team will explore, document, and conduct research in the central and western Pacific Ocean over the next five years. This region contains the highest marine biodiversity on the planet, most of which is unprotected from extractive activities.
"It is an honor to receive this grant. It provides us with an exciting opportunity to work with local partners to accelerate, scale, and finance permanent ocean protection," said Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Pristine Seas. "This grant allows Pristine Seas to continue to provide countries and local communities with the assistance and support they need to create marine-protected areas and achieve their ocean conservation and economic goals."
The Bezos Earth Fund is $10 billion to support scientists, activists, NGOs, and other actors who will drive climate and nature solutions, said the organization in its statement.
Jeffrey Bezos, 58, a U.S. Citizen entrepreneur, media proprietor, investor, computer engineer, and commercial astronaut, is the founder, executive chairman and former president and CEO of Amazon company. With a net worth of around US$146 billion as of June 2022, Bezos is the second-wealthiest person in the world and was the wealthiest from 2017 to 2021 according to both Bloomberg's Billionaires Index and Forbes.
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