Stacy Jupiter

From Card Collector to Conservation Career | Blog | Nature | PBS This piece comes to us from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). To honor Black History Month, WCS and Nature are sharing stories of nature and

To honor #BlackHistoryMonth, Ayesha Smith of WCS's Prospect Park Zoo shares her journey. “As a Black keeper in conservation,“ she writes, “I am driven to help others see that there is space for them here too.“

🌎 Read it at PBS Nature: www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/...

While coral reefs face severe threats, overly bleak narratives can undermine action. A group of marine scientists, including from @wcs.org, have published their 100-year visions of sustainable and equitable futures.

🪸 🌏 doi.org/10.1038/s441...

Good News About Sharks The illegal shark trade is a transnational challenge, and so is the solution.

Great news for oceanic white tip sharks. Countries around the world voted to prohibit all commercial trade, the highest level of protection under the #CITES convention, write Juan Carlos Navarro, Cristina Mittermeier & @lukedavid301.bsky.social in @timemagazine.bsky.social:
time.com/7362449/shar...

** PAPER ALERT ** The future of #coralreefs does not have to be doom & gloom. Just out in npj Ocean Sustainability, we imagine coral reef futures offering alternatives aspiring to sustainability and equity for coral reefs. Read the open access paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Governments have made international commitments to equity. However, progress has stalled due to unclear definitions and measures of equity, limited capacity for resource-intensive assessments, and a lack of actionable guidance. Now we have a tool - the #OceanEquityIndex #OEI #BlueJustice

The #OceanEquityIndex enables:
- Screening of funding proposals
- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and tracking progress over time
- Accountability to policy commitments
- Reflection & learning to inform adaptive management
Read the full paper from Nature here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ocean Equity Index: Measuring Equity in Ocean Governance Explore the Ocean Equity Index, a practical tool for assessing equity, inclusion and social impact in ocean initiatives around the world.

Published in Nature today: the Ocean Equity Index (OEI), the first global tool to measure fairness in ocean policies and projects. OEI turns equity from an abstract goal into a measurable standard for ocean decision-making.
The OEI is free and easy to use: oceanequityindex.org

Pleased to be featured in a collection of diverse viewpoints on coral reef restoration in this issue of One Earth. Read the full collection here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mIX8_wvRV...

(1/6) 🌊 ICRS 2026 registrations are OPEN!
Working together to ensure a future for coral reefs - join us next year in New Zealand!
www.icrs2026.nz

So excited that this work is finally out in the world! An example of working with practitioners to develop a mathematical model that can provide insight into the usefulness of management methods for coral reef health in the region.

**NEW PAPER ALERT** Read about the methods behind the development of the new #IUCNCEESP guide on measuring equity in marine conservation in our new paper in #PARKS. Access the paper here: parksjournal.com/wp-content/u...

@nathanjbennett.bsky.social @markandrachuk.bsky.social

“This is one of the greatest days in the history of shark and ray conservation.”

Historic trade protections were adopted at #CITESCOP20 today. The next step is strong implementation on the ground, says WCS’s @lukedavid301.bsky.social. 🌏

WCS Celebrates Historic and Sweeping Trade Protections for Sharks and Rays Adopted at CITES CoP20 Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Nov. 28, 2025 – The following statement was issued today from CITES CoP20, celebrating the adoption of sweeping and historic adoption of new international trade protections for ...

A major victory for sharks and rays at #CITESCOP20. All CITES shark and ray proposals pass – marking the most comprehensive advance in global shark conservation in CITES history. This took a true partnership effort to achieve the outcome.

@lukedavid301.bsky.social

newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...

NOW OR NEVER - COLLECTIVE ACTION IS VITAL TO PROTECT CORAL REEFS | Together for the Ocean Coral reefs are absent from national climate and biodiversity plans. Alfred DeGemmis, Director of International Policy at WCS, and Rachel James, Global Coral Reef Rescue Initiative Lead at WWF, explor...

Alfred DeGemmis of @wcs.org and Rachel James of WWF explain how coral reefs are largely missing from country reporting to international biodiversity and climate agreements - a lost opportunity for targeted action to promote climate resilience.

for-the-ocean.org/now-or-never...

The Hidden Forces Keeping Reef Fishers Below Living Wage New York, NY (November 21, 2025)—A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) published in Coral Reefs reveals why many coral reef fishers remain in poverty, even as fish stocks decline and ...

New study in Coral Reefs by @wcs.org's Tim McClanahan and Jesse Kosgei explains how fishers in Kenya are staying in the fishery even though stocks are declining and they are not earning a living wage.

newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...

Ocean finance still falls far short of what’s needed. We have a long way to go to put it into the hands of those who really need it. We describe what’s actually working in blue finance, as well as the proven mechanisms that must now scale to deliver measurable, community-centered impact.

Delivering on Blue Finance: What’s Working and What Needs to Scale By Stacy Jupiter, Markus Knigge, and Loreley Picourt | November 17, 2025

As #COP30 unfolds in Belém, one message is clear: ocean finance pledges aren’t enough.

A new op-ed by @stacyjupiter.bsky.social, @oceanknigge.bsky.social, & Loreley Picourt highlights proven tools, from guarantees to community-led governance, that can turn commitments into impact.

🌎 bit.ly/4oDOOIu

LISTEN: Despite over a decade of protections, a widespread illegal trade in shark and rays persists.

This underscores the importance of the upcoming #CITESCOP20 meeting, where governments have the opportunity to take stronger action.

🌏 🔊 apple.co/4nShUmo

A new study finds persistent illegal trade in protected shark species. @wcs.org has a plan in our Marine Strategy to tackle this. We are working to secure CITES Appendix I listings and are using established crime science techniques to develop tailored preventative responses to illegal trade.

WCS Receives $2M Award from Bezos Earth Fund to Advance AI Solutions for Climate and Nature New York, NY — October 23, 2025 — The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been selected as one of fifteen global teams awarded funding through the Bezos Earth Fund’s AI for Climate and Nature Gran...

Proud to be one of 15 global teams awarded funding through the @bezosearthfund.org’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge.

We’re advancing foundational AI models for coral reef monitoring and inviting divers and citizen scientists everywhere to join the effort.

🪸 bit.ly/4oxMguW

With our partners, we are working around the clock to find and map all of these special reefs—what we’re calling high integrity climate-resilient coral reefs (HICOR).

The science is clear: Climate resilience is measurable. Hope is actionable, says @stacyjupiter.bsky.social. #HopeForCoral

AI Models Outperform Traditional Climate Predictions, Offering New Insights for Coral Reef Futures NEW YORK, NY, October 21, 2025 – A new study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) finds that artificial intelligence (AI) models are providing more accurate and more hopeful predictions for ...

New science by @wcs.org Director of Marine Science, Dr Tim McClanahan, gives further hope #ForCoral. His review of modelling studies show the outlook for reefs is not uniformly grim – with many reefs remaining stable or improving under the right conditions.

newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...

A newly released Global Tipping Points report suggested that coral reefs have passed thresholds beyond which they can't bounce back.

Our new study from Fiji shows just the opposite - astonishing, rapid recovery within 4 years of reefs pummeled by a category 5 cyclone.

#ForCoral

ICRS Darwin Medal Nominations due Dec. 15
The ICRS Darwin Medal is the Society’s highest recognition, awarded every four years to a distinguished late-career society member who has made significant scientific contributions recognized globally throughout their career. coralreefs.org/awards-honor...

~~~~~~~~ #GrantSpotlight ~~~~~~~~
We supported @thewcs.bsky.social
'Creating a network of of resilient MPAs in globally significant areas of the Western Indian Ocean 🇰🇪 🇲🇬 🇹🇿 '
🌊 Grant Report: buff.ly/3E4UgS8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One reason why I was excited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Arcturus expedition by joining the livestream at @wcs.org's CPZ of the NOAA research cruise in #HudsonCanyon with contemporary artists is because 25 years ago I was on a deep sea expedition in #PNG with my own box of watercolors

Supporting rights and equity in practice (continued)

If you are at #IUCNWCC2025 and want to learn more, the guidebook will be presented by @nathanjbennett.bsky.social in a session on Supporting Rights and Equity in Practice in the Reimagining Conservation Pavilion on Friday, October 10 at 18:00-19:30
iucncongress2025.org/programme/su...

It's been a long time in development, but I am thrilled to say that our new "Guidebook for assessing and improving social equity in marine conservation" is now released, launched at the IUCN #WorldConservationCongress2025

Download your copy now here: portals.iucn.org/library/node...

The IUCN Guidebook for Assessing and Improving Social Equity in Marine Conservation launched this week. Available to download now: portals.iucn.org/library/node...

You can also join us for a webinar on October 28th to learn more!
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#consocsci #marsocsci #marineequity

Stop International Trade of Whale Sharks, Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, and Manta and Devil Rays Add your name today to support greater regulations and protections for vulnerable sharks and rays.

Sharks & rays are vanishing. Whale sharks, oceanic whitetips, manta & devil rays face steep declines.

This Nov at CITES CoP20, governments will vote on giving them Appendix I protections - the strongest safeguard possible.

Add your voice: only.one/act/cites-2025
#CITESCoP20