The oceans are vital to our planet, yet they are under increasing pressure. At the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference, the international community set itself the target of placing at least 30 percent of all oceans under protection by 2030. The UN High Seas Protection Agreement, which came into force on 17 January 2026, is key to achieving this goal. For the first time, it establishes a binding legal framework for the protection of the high seas. This encompasses those marine areas lying outside national waters, which make up around two-thirds of the world’s oceans and, until now, have been largely unregulated. However, it’s likely to be some time before concrete measures are adopted. The first Conference of the Parties is expected to take place between August 2026 and January 2027. In the meantime, Germany is currently in the process of ratifying the agreement.
The good news: solutions that support the implementation of the agreement are already available. One such solution is the digital platform eOceans, which collects and analyses environmental data. This helps experts make faster, more informed decisions about marine conservation. In this interview, founder Dr Chris Ward-Paige discusses the tool and explains how it works. She also shares what she, as a marine scientist, believes is necessary for the effective protection of the oceans.
Why data alone is not enough
One project, three years’ work, $700,000—and in the end, the realisation that the conservation measures for cod stocks had not been working for the past ten years. For marine scientist Ward-Paige, this was one of those moments when it dawned on her: marine conservation cannot continue like this. “Decisions about the oceans encompass a multitude of dimensions—threats, livelihoods, socio-economic values—and must be made quickly to keep pace with changes in the oceans,” the researcher explains to RESET.
Dr Chris Ward-Paige, Founder of eOceans The cod conservation effort was not an isolated case. The real problem was structural in nature—and stemmed not from a lack of data, but from its fragmentation. Government agencies, research institutions, NGOs and industry stakeholders worked largely in isolation from one another. “Data is collected using different methods, stored in various formats and scattered across many organisations. Salmon, whales, turtles, invasive species, lobsters, eels, fisheries, offshore energy, aquaculture and transport projects all have separate workflows and datasets. This fragmentation slows down the conversion of observations into actionable insights,” explains Ward-Paige.
Data integration is key to better marine conservation
However, according to the researcher, effective protection of the oceans requires data integration, common standards and interdisciplinary collaboration: “A holistic picture, combined with interoperable data and transparent governance, is essential.” Cost savings are also a factor: a study conducted by Ward-Paige and published in the specialist journal IEEE estimates that improved ocean data systems and digital infrastructure could unlock an economic potential of around 291 billion US dollars. Much of this stems from the fact that data is still collected and processed separately for each specific question, rather than being linked across domains and reused. Ward-Paige founded eOceans in 2017 to close precisely this gap.
How eOceans works
eOceans enables the centralised management of digital environmental projects—from monitoring offshore installations and fisheries to species conservation and the monitoring of marine protected areas. Users input data, and the platform automatically cleans and analyses it, maps the results and generates customised reports at the touch of a button. This allows conservationists to identify trends and assess risks in real time.
In the eOceans app, users retain control over their data; sharing is optional and only takes place with explicit consent. Ward-Paige places particular importance on the system’s traceability: “Every step is verifiable. Users can see how data flows through the system and how results are generated. This makes expenditure on science, policy, compliance and investment decisions robust. At a time when trust in science is under pressure, this transparency is crucial.”
For this reason, Ward-Paige and her team also decided against the standard integration of AI. However, AI functions can be added as an option if they offer genuine value.
At present, eOceans is still a start-up of modest size but with a growing reach. It already has commercial clients and pilot projects in California, the Maldives, South Africa, Namibia and Canada. The platform is being used for a wide variety of applications. Marine protected areas, as well as recreational fishing and tourism, formed the starting point. These have now been joined by offshore wind energy, commercial fisheries and early applications in the field of the international high seas conservation agreement. Many projects transcend sectoral boundaries. Scientists might collect data on a fishery that also happens to be in a protected area. Or, data analysts might link biodiversity monitoring to tourism and offshore development.
Protection on paper—and in reality
There are currently just under 17,000 marine protected areas worldwide, covering a total area of around 35.5 million square kilometres. This corresponds to approximately 9.8 percent of the global ocean area. To reach the 30 percent target, this area would need to more than triple. However, simply designating a protected area is not enough. According to the Marine Protection Atlas, only around 3.3 percent of the world’s oceans are under full or high protection.
How can we effectively protect around 100 million square kilometres of ocean? That is the major practical challenge and the reason for the existence of so-called ‘paper parks’. These are protected areas that exist officially but, in reality, receive little or no protection.
According to Ward-Paige, ‘paper parks’ can only be avoided through transparency, accountability and cooperation. A key objective in the development of eOceans was to allow scientists to assess the performance of protected areas in real time. “Technology alone is not the solution, but it makes these principles easier to implement,” explains the researcher. “Even in its simplest form, eOceans shows whether monitoring and surveillance are actually taking place. If a site is unmonitored or only visited sporadically, the risk of it becoming a ‘paper park’ becomes apparent.”
La Jolla North: When marine conservation becomes a community effort
The La Jolla North marine reserve in Southern California demonstrates exactly how eOceans can be used.
“For a Monday, there were quite a few kayaks out on the water, but the sea caves were impressive. Right beneath the kayak entrance to the cave, we came across a pair of horn sharks mating,” Flo Li described her observations in the eOceans app on 23 March 2026. She also documented dead cormorants along the coast and a noticeable change in the algal bloom.
Entries such as these form part of a structured monitoring approach within eOceans: the organisation Ocean Science Analytics (OSA), for example, uses the platform for collaborative monitoring of the La Jolla North marine protected area. The data comes not only from scientists, but also from so-called citizen scientists—experienced divers and other qualified observers who visit the area regularly.
During the first year of the project, 247 data collection sessions were carried out as part of the OSA project. With the help of eOceans, 245,908 animals were recorded, including leopard sharks, sea lions and squid. In addition, 6,445 instances of human activity and 138 instances of environmental pollution were documented. The eOceans app automatically links data entries with GPS coordinates, dates and other metadata, and converts them into maps, graphs and tables. OSA also uses the platform as a communication channel to discuss results collectively and incorporate different perspectives into the analysis.
La Jolla North is not an isolated case, but a deliberately chosen model. In instances where protected areas are designated but not adequately monitored, a collaborative approach like the one enabled by eOceans could help stop such areas from becoming ‘paper parks’.
Progress versus old habits
Thanks to the UN High Seas Protection Agreement, demand for eOceans is growing. “The treaty has raised both awareness and a sense of urgency,” says Ward-Paige. “Organisations are looking for tools that manage cross-border data, support compliance reporting and facilitate collaboration.”
The biggest practical hurdle remains a shift in mindset among all stakeholders, towards greater integration, interdisciplinary collaboration and shared data use. Scientists, governments and industry experts are accustomed to working on their own solutions within their institutions. “Convincing organisations to try out a new system and rethink established processes takes time,” explains Ward-Paige. Automating data cleaning and preparation could free up operational capacity, allowing experts to focus on interpretation, strategy and decision-making. According to Ward-Paige, this is urgently needed to achieve the target of 30 percent protected areas by 2030.
Marine conservation needs more than just technology
Ultimately, marine conservation is, of course, not purely a technical issue. “The biggest challenge is how to align all stakeholders towards common goals,” says Ward-Paige. Close coordination is needed between governments, NGOs, the scientific community and industry—all of whom must not only recognise the need for interoperable data, cross-sectoral cooperation and standardised reporting, but also act upon it. Only in this way can a holistic picture of the oceans emerge – one that integrates biodiversity, socio-cultural values and economic use.
“What drives me is the knowledge that better tools and collaboration can turn insights into tangible results, for ecosystems, communities and global ocean policy,” says Ward-Paige. It is a sober motivation for someone who has spent 700 hours conducting underwater research, worked in 38 countries and planted over 450,000 trees. But perhaps that is precisely the point: anyone who knows the ocean as well as Ward-Paige knows that enthusiasm alone is not enough to bring about real change.
