Beneath the surface, Aotearoa New Zealand’s oceans are under growing pressure. We’re taking too much good stuff out, putting too much bad stuff in, and the system is warming faster than it can adapt - with dire consequences that are often overlooked and ignored.

In this episode, we sit down with Shaun Lee for an honest conversation about the state of our marine environment. Despite being an ocean nation, less than 1% of our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) is fully or highly protected, placing us among the worst-performing countries globally.

We are missing the UN benchmark that aims for 30% protection by 2030 BY FAR, and this is reflected in the declines we’re seeing in ocean health.

While the picture is confronting and politically driven, there is genuine reason for hope. We also explore how marine ecosystems can recover when pressure is reduced, and how a combination of passive and active restoration shows promise in places like the Hauraki Gulf.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• The overall state of Aotearoa NZ’s marine environment.
• The key drivers of biodiversity decline and habitat loss.
• Why NZ is one of the worst countries when looking at marine protected areas.
• Why reconnecting to the past to understand what diversity we used to have is important to grasp what we have lost.
• The importance of marine reserves for biodiversity and awareness.
• The difference between passive and active restoration.
• How active restoration fast-tracks ocean recovery + examples.
• How citizen science can contribute to monitoring ocean health.
• And so much more…

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🧑‍🦱About Shaun:

Shaun Lee is an Auckland-based environmental advocate and creative professional dedicated to marine restoration, pollution prevention, and large-scale ecological interventions within New Zealand’s coastal ecosystems. By leveraging his visual communication skills, he champions the protection and restoration of marine habitats. Shaun serves as a Trustee for several eNGOs, including the Revive Our Gulf Trust and the Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust.

🔗Learn more:

• Shaun’s blog: https://blog.shaunlee.co.nz/about
• Shaun’s sea floor mapping platform: https://seafloor.nz
• Hauraki Gulf Forum: https://gulfjournal.org.nz
• Revive Our Gulf Trust: https://ww.reviveourgulf.org.nz
• Northern NZ Seabird Trust: https://www.nzseabirdtrust.com

🎙️About the podcast:

The People Helping Nature podcast is brought to you by Conservation Amplified, a registered New Zealand charity.

We are on a mission to help make conservation mainstream by amplifying the awesome stuff people are doing to help nature all around Aotearoa New Zealand.

Find out more about Conservation Amplified at www.conservationamplified.org.