Anja Murray: Marine protected areas give life at sea a chance to rebound

If we stop killing life in the sea and do more to protect it, then ocean life could be restored within a generation

Kelp forests are a marine habitat here teeming with life. Picture: iStock

The world’s oceans contain the last great wilderness on Earth. For most of human history, the vastness of the seas has put them largely beyond the reach of significant interference. Today, this is no longer the case. 

The oceans have lost more than three-quarters of the large animals that once lived in them, animals such as whales, dolphins, and sharks. Overfishing, dredging, pollution have all been taking a heavy toll on marine life. But new approaches to marine conservation are now offering us a window of opportunity to restore the oceans to their former glory.