The future of our oceans and marine reserves
The oceans are facing many challenges. Climate change, overfishing, sedimentation and pollution are threatening the health of oceans.
Marine reserves can conserve biodiversity, increase populations and restore habitats. But they are not enough on their own to balance all the challenges our oceans are facing. We need a range of conservation tools to protect the future health of marine ecosystems.
A future focus
Future focus is thinking about the future to predict what could happen. You can think about different possible futures, both positive and negative. This can help you think about how actions in the present can shape future results.
What is kaitiakitanga?
Kaitiakitanga is protection or guardianship. It is a way of thinking about and looking after the environment. In Te Ao Māori, humans have a responsibility to maintain the physical and spiritual balance of the environment.
Kaitiaki
Kaitiaki are tangata whenua who have responsibility to protect and look after an area’s resources. They work with the living and non-living parts of the environment to act as kaitiaki.
Kaitiaki look after the environment to help maintain the balance of everything within it. They do this with their cultural, historical, spiritual and traditional knowledge and skills.
Becoming a kaitiaki is a process that gets handed down and managed through iwi members and kaumatua.
Ecosystem-based management
In the future, we will need many tools to preserve the health of the marine environment. Marine spatial plans are a way for people to manage the use of the marine environment and its resources. They balance human needs with ecosystem health.
- For more information, go to the Ecosystem Based Management background page from the LEARNZ Sustainable Seas field trip website.
- Ready for a quiz? Try The Future of Marine Reserves activity.
