Mind the Gap: A critical workforce shortage for protecting the ocean

Christine A Ward-Paige , Alexandre Courtiol , Michael R Appleton, Lihla Noori, Kira Sullivan-Wiley, James E Palardy, 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 the ocean. Responses represented 52.8% of global MPA area across 63 countries and territories. Staffing was consistently low—averaging one worker per 412 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 protected, highly protected and Blue Park sites. Technology was used where staffing was ample, amplifying rather than replacing workforce. With a current number of staff estimated at ~90,000 full time equivalents, achieving the targets of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30×30) will require a large expansion of the current workforce. With non-staff actors present near most MPAs (97%), mobilizing this latent workforce may provide a scalable pathway for protecting and reviving the ocean.