Mind the Gap: A critical 40-fold workforce shortfall for protecting 30% of the ocean

Christine A Ward-Paige , Alexandre Courtiol , Michael R Appleton, Lihla Noori, Kira Sullivan-Wiley, Laure Katz, Elizabeth P Pike

Despite being tasked with protecting ocean biodiversity, the marine protected area (MPA) workforce remains poorly described. Using a global site-level questionnaire, we assessed staffing, workforce adequacy, technology use, and personnel requirements for effectively and equitably conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30 x 30). Responses represented 52.8% of global MPA area across 63 countries and territories. Staffing was consistently low—averaging one worker per 370 km²—ten times fewer than in terrestrial protected areas. One fifth of MPAs had fewer than one full-time equivalent and two thirds had fewer than ten. Staffing was higher in fully/highly protected and Blue Park sites. Technology was used where staffing was ample, amplifying rather than replacing workforce. Achieving 30×30 requires expanding the workforce from ~100,000 to 4 million people—with non-staff actors present near most MPAs (97%), mobilizing this latent workforce may provide a scalable pathway for protecting and reviving the ocean.