| Grantee | Wildlife Conservation Society ↗ |
| Grant Amount | $948,000 |
| Duration | Three Years |
Oceans 5 supports Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence to ensure effective implementation and representation of all major habitat types and biodiversity within the existing marine protected area systems in Argentina and Chile.
In the Southern Cone the Pacific and Atlantic oceans come into contact, creating globally unique ecosystems and marine habitats that extend beyond national borders. This region is uniquely populated by a diversity of wildlife and charismatic megafauna, from right and blue whales to several species of albatrosses and penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals. Argentina and Chile have increased their MPA coverage over the last few decades, yet there remains a need to increase the eco-regional coverage of marine protected sites in Patagonia, while improving governance, design, and effectiveness of Protected Areas.
Established in 2004, the Forum is an alliance of conservation NGOs that work together to protect an ecologically healthy and diverse Patagonian Sea in order to meet the needs, wishes and aspirations of people, and at the same time, protect one of the most productive marine ecosystems with unique wildlife sightings in the world, through a genuine partnership of all interested sectors. The Forum member organizations have long-standing, collaborative relationships with key national and local government agencies, which uniquely position them to achieve their goals for marine conservation in the Southern Cone. Oceans 5 is helping the Forum achieve its near-term goal of improving the effectiveness and biogeographic representativeness of the national MPA systems in Argentina and Chile, through eco-regional planning, network integration, and the creation of new protected areas.
