Surf Protected Area Networks
Surf Protected Areas: A cutting-edge conservation approach to protecting surf ecosystems that overlap with biodiversity hotspots.
The Surf Protected Area Network (SPAN) program is a new approach for marine and coastal conservation that combines the legal protection of ecosystems with sustainable community development.
Save The Waves implements this program across the globe on a national level in Costa Rica, The Azores, Mexico and Chile in coalition with local partners.
Our Project Areas
With our pilot project launched in Morotai of Indonesia, we are focusing additional efforts in Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico.
Program Highlight:
THE AZORES, PORTUGAL
Save The Waves launched a new initiative for creating SPANs in the Azores through the Blue Azores program with Waitt Foundation.
Program Victory:
PIEDRA DEL VIENTO, CHILE
Recent News on Spans
Representing Surf Breaks at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal
Last month, Save The Waves Coalition attended the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal which brought together governments, NGO’s, and political leaders to discuss the current state of the oceans and work on solutions to the multiple crises we face. Save The Waves participated in high level discussions surrounding coastal protected areas, the importance
Our Ocean Conference: Save The Waves represents surf conservation on an international platform
“This experience was a powerful reminder that while our challenges are great, our collaborative potential is immense.”
World Surf League to support Surf Conservation Partnership efforts in Costa Rica and beyond
Today, we are excited to announce a new collaboration with the World Surf League and Conservation International through the Surf Conservation Partnership to protect world-class waves and coastal ecosystems.
What We Do: Protect
At Save The Waves, we strive to do more than react to immediate threats to surf breaks: we work hard to proactively conserve surf ecosystems and create surf protected areas.
What are Surf Protected Areas? How do they work?
We break down what it means to legally protect a surf break and the comprehensive strategies used by communities worldwide to preserve their surfing resources.
The outline and analysis below is a Coalition collaboration with Save The Waves, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA) and Conservamos For Naturaleza.
Using Surf Conservation for Biodiversity Protection
Across the globe, there are thousands of areas where world class surfing waves and globally important marine biological diversity overlap where threats are prevalent.
Save The Waves recently conducted a study showing that ~90% of the world’s top surf sites are located in global biodiversity hotspots for marine conservation and are ripe for new protected areas. The map below shows 50 globally important surfing areas overlaid with biodiversity hotspots.
Click on map to enlarge.
Our
Priority
Regions
- Mexico
- Chile
- Indonesia
- Costa Rica
- Azores
- Fiji
- Brazil
- South Africa
- Mozambique
- Madagascar
- California / Hawaii
The Surf Conservation Partnership
Save The Waves has teamed up with Conservation International! Together, our organizations have the necessary and combined forces to have a global impact for coastal conservation. Our projects in SPANs includes regions in Indonesia, Costa Rica and Brazil.
The Surf Conservation Partnership
Save The Waves has teamed up with international NGO Conservation International. Together, our organizations have the necessary and combined forces to have a global impact for coastal conservation. Our SPANs includes regions in Indonesia, Costa Rica and Brazil.
Resources
Explore and browse our completed studies around surf breaks and surf protected areas.
The Azores: Surf conservation Index
Help us push the boundaries of conservation.
Donate today and make a global impact for our coastlines.
Our SPANs Partners.
