Sign Our Petition: Motion 035
Sign the Petition Here
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature is a global coalition that includes government agencies and non-governmental organizations working together to advance conservation efforts for vulnerable species. They are widely known for their Red List, where species are categorized by how threatened their populations are and assigning endangerment status which is a critical tool in advancing habitat protections. This October the IUCN will be voting on, Motion 035 which seeks to protect the Mesopelagic zone- otherwise known as the Twilight Zone.
This is an important marine ecosystem, as it is a core contributor to marine carbon sequestration and home to a majority of the Oceans’ fish biomass. The species living in the Mesopelagic zone migrate up to the surface of the water each night looking for food. These animals will consume a large amount of organic material. They then return to the Mesopelagic zone where they digest the food they consumed and the organic waste is then distributed around the sea floor- directly removing carbon from the surface water where it would have continued through the carbon cycle.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute notes that the environmental services provided by this carbon sequestration are around $300-900 billion each year.
Motion 035 is seeking the “Protection of Mesopelagic Ecosystem Integrity” and advocating for the protection of this zone by taking actions such as increasing regulations for extractive activity (fishing and mining) that would impact this zone, establishing marine protected areas to preserve the biodiversity, and improving our understanding of this zone by expanding research and monitoring programs.
It is important to note that Motion 035 would not be a law-binding agreement, rather it is a framework for regulations among its members. Since many of the voting members are government agencies, they will be encouraged to mirror the goals of Motion 035 in their respective nation.
What You Will Do:
Sign our petition addressed to the Members of the IUCN US National Committee and urge them to vote yes for Motion 035 and begin taking action by establishing Marine Protected Areas that will protect critical habitat for Mesopelagic organisms. Impact for Oceans will be sending these signatures to the IUCN US National Committee prior to the vote.
Sign the Petition Here
Cool Species Spotlight:
Bristlemouths are iconic Mesopelagic fish, that are the most abundance vertebrates on Earth. These fish may only be a few centimeters long, but they have power in numbers! Bristlemouths, like many other Mesopalegic fish, come to the surface to consume zooplankton, making them key players in the sequestration of gigatons of carbon dioxide every year.
Resources:
https://iucn-members.us/about/us-national-committee/
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/035
https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/value-of-the-otz/