Marine Species News.pdf

The IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Sub-Committee (MCSC) was created in 2005 to focus on marine species issues and provide advisory roles to the SSC Steering Committee.
The MCSC met in February 2012 and plans to hold its next meeting in December 2013 to discuss key marine species issues.
The 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 11) agreed to send scientific information to the United Nations describing areas of ecological or biological significance in the open ocean and deep sea.
Over 120 marine 'hotspots' have been identified by experts, waiting for approval by the CBD to encourage international recognition and protection.
These areas are crucial for preserving marine biodiversity, with scientists assessing their biological diversity, rare species, and importance for threatened species.
Threats such as climate change, human activity, pollution, and unregulated fishing pose significant risks to these areas and the marine environment as a whole.
* The IUCN is calling for the Convention to approve the proposed EBSAs and for the international community to protect them to preserve marine life and the services they provide to people around the world.