When Jeff Bezos launched the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020, he committed a figure that immediately put the initiative among the largest philanthropic efforts aimed at fighting climate change and protecting nature: $10 billion. Part of that money is being directed toward one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems. The Earth Fund announced $24.5 million in grants to strengthen the protection of coastal and marine areas across the Eastern Tropical Pacific, covering waters off Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. The funding is not simply intended to create more protected areas. It is also designed to help ensure that those areas can be monitored, managed and financed over the long term, with local communities and conservation groups playing a central role. A region where wildlife crosses borders The Eastern Tropical Pacific links some of the region’s most important marine ecosystems, including the Galápagos, Cocos, Coiba and Malpelo. Its waters form migration routes for species that travel across enormous distances, including hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, whales and tuna. Many of these animals begin their lives in mangroves, estuaries and sheltered coastal areas before moving into offshore waters. That makes cooperation between countries particularly important, since protecting a single stretch of ocean may not be enough for species that regularly cross maritime borders. According to the Earth Fund, the four countries have designated more than 154,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers) of new marine protected areas since 2021, nearly tripling the amount of protected ocean in the region. Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia have each protected more than 30% of their national waters, while Ecuador has expanded protections across important coastal and offshore zones. The broader goal is to connect those areas into a coordinated conservation corridor spanning national boundaries. Where the $24.5 million is going The new funding is divided among several projects, covering everything from coastal habitat protection to technology designed to improve marine surveillance. The largest grant, worth $13.85 million, went to Re to support local and regional organizations in Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. The money will help create new coastal reserves, strengthen existing protected areas and develop long-term financing mechanisms to keep those protections in place. Another $1 million was awarded to MigraMar to expand long-term monitoring of sharks, turtles, whales and tuna. Researchers will use the information to better understand migration routes and identify areas where marine species gather. Meanwhile, $4 million will go to Global Fishing Watch to give patrol teams access to satellite information and planning tools. The technology is intended to help officers determine where their efforts are most needed and improve safety during operations. The remaining $5.65 million was awarded to WildAid for equipment and hands-on training for park rangers working in protected waters. Using technology to track what happens at sea One of the biggest challenges facing marine protected areas is their remoteness. Patrol teams cannot be everywhere at once, making reliable information critical when deciding where to deploy personnel and resources. The initiative therefore incorporates satellite data, vessel tracking and ecological monitoring. It will also build on research already underway, including more than 1,200 underwater camera deployments and environmental DNA sampling designed to track changes in biodiversity. The underlying idea is that declaring an area protected is only the beginning. Effective conservation requires people, technology, scientific information and reliable funding to maintain protection year after year. Bezos’ climate commitment is expanding The $24.5 million investment is part of a much broader strategy. According to the Earth Fund, the new grants brought its total investment in the Eastern Tropical Pacific to more than $60 million. The organization also operates a broader Tropical Pacific Ocean initiative focused on a region it describes as critical to biodiversity, climate regulation and food security. The Earth Fund currently lists 19 grants totaling $93.35 million under that initiative. The Pacific funding represents only a portion of the $10 billion initially pledged by Bezos, which is intended to support projects protecting and restoring ecosystems around the world.