Leveraging Open Tools and Data in the Push for 30x30

​With four years to 2030, Target 3 progress lags furthest behind at sea, in both coverage and effectiveness. The next phase will be judged by delivery, not just designation, and delivery depends on knowing what happens on the water. Yet monitoring data is often patchy or inaccessible, making it hard to detect harm or hold offenders to account. On the high seas, new protected areas are coming, but how they will be monitored is unclear. Free, accessible tools built on open data can help close these gaps by tracking the extent and strength of protection, revealing harmful pollution and fishing from space, and turning scattered data into public evidence that advocates, communities and governments can use. Panelists from SkyTruth, the Med Sea Alliance, Together for the Ocean and EarthEcho International will discuss how open data is powering legal advocacy, national and global campaigns, and youth-led action, what stands in the way, and which data and tool gaps most need collaboration and investment.