Marine conservation faces a tough reality: philanthropic grants are shrinking just as ocean crises accelerate. Drawing boundary lines only creates “paper parks” - marine protected areas lacking financial durability, enforcement, and authentic local ownership. In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher sits down with Angelique “Angie” Brathwaite, Director of Conservation and Science at , to unpack what scalable, self-sustaining ocean protection looks like on the ground...

There is a moment on almost every dive when Francis Tagnong stops finning and simply hangs in the water. The reef goes quiet apart from the sound of his own breathing. Light comes down in shifting bars, and a school of fish drifts past as if he is not there...

The Ocean Protection Gap Report 2026 estimates that around USD 16 billion a year is needed for ocean protection, yet only USD 1.8 billion is currently spent. That leaves an annual shortfall of around USD 14 billion, and too many marine protected areas without the resources to function effectively. Blue Alliance's work in Indonesia is featured in the report as a case study in building sustainable finance for MPAs through the blue economy, rather than treating MPA management as a short-term conservation project...