“For years, Paul had been telling me about how sacred this place was — and now, I knew what he meant firsthand.”
Over a decade ago, as a 40th birthday present, my partner Paul took me to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. I had high expectations for this famed, windswept archipelago, which is a British Overseas Territory and is nicknamed “the Galápagos of the Southern Ocean.” Many environmentalists, including Paul, have said that this area is one of the most special places on the planet.
They’re not wrong. During my first visit there, I was blown away by the incredible biodiversity on display in this deceptively barren-looking habitat. Everywhere you look, countless species are co-existing within a complicated, deeply fragile, and highly precious ecosystem: Penguins waddle across the landscape, albatrosses soar through the skies, and whales migrate through the frigid waters below. For years, Paul had been telling me about how sacred this place was — and now, I knew what he meant firsthand. So I was horrified to learn that the delicate ecosystem in these islands was at risk of being thrown off kilter, primarily because of the rate at which industrial fishing fleets were harvesting krill along the coastlines.
It’s hard to overstate how essential those tiny crustaceans are to this ecosystem (and to so many ecosystems around the world). Hundreds of species rely on them for nutrients, and the fishing industry put this entire ecosystem at risk of crumbling in a matter of years. After that trip, I agreed with Paul that we should work tirelessly on behalf of this habitat.
The goal was to secure a Marine Protected Area designation for this region, ensuring that crucial habitats for whales and penguins are conserved. MPAs are absolutely critical to conservation efforts. Think of them as the aquatic equivalent to a national park designation. They’re one of the most effective tools we have to defend our ocean from exploitation. But it’s important to note that they’re not a one-size-fits-all designation; an MPA can receive various levels of protection, depending on the circumstances. Our goal for the South Georgian seas was to attain the highest MPA status possible: the “highly and fully marine protected area” designation.
Thus began the journey of (nearly) a lifetime. Paul and I worked tirelessly alongside other ocean conservation activists on behalf of this paradise. We used every tool at our disposal, from meeting with lawmakers to creating visual content that makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, to feel connected to this magical place.
In 2023, SeaLegacy joined coalition partners Pew Environment, Great Blue Ocean, Blue Marine Foundation, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy and Blue Nature Alliance in calling for the expansion of the The South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area (SGSSI-MPA) to conserve the area’s rich biodiversity and create a marine wildlife sanctuary on the South Georgian coasts.
Earlier this year, our dream was realized: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ received the highest MPA designation status possible. We were elated to learn that 449,000 square kilometers of the region have been entirely closed off from fishing activity. Now, the future of the region’s biodiversity is extremely bright, and it’s all thanks to the United Kingdom’s ambitious marine protection agenda, the passionate community who shared our message across the world, and the global leaders, conservationists, and fellow storytellers who joined us on this incredible journey.
At a time when the realities of climate change can feel overwhelmingly bleak, it’s absolutely vital that we celebrate environmental wins as much as we stay clear-eyed about our challenges. So today, we’re writing to celebrate this win. It means so much to us — and hopefully it will mean a lot to you, too.
People often ask why the conservation of such a remote place should matter to them. After all, most people will never get to experience the beauty and mystery of such a place firsthand. The truth is that the health of our ocean has a direct effect on the quality of every human’s life on Earth. Even if you don’t ever visit South Georgia, your life will improve as a result of the protections put in place there. We’re all connected in one big, global ecosystem of creatures. Maintaining the health and balance of this wild part of our planet is essential to offering some level of resilience against the growing threat of climate change.
Paul and I invite you to continue to follow along with us in bringing our community’s ocean advocacy and impact to life through SeaLegacy.
Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier and Andy Mann co-founded SeaLegacy in 2014. SeaLegacy’s mission is to inspire people to fall in love with the ocean, amplify a network of changemakers around the world, and catalyze hands-on diplomacy through hopeful, world-class visual storytelling.
