Nathan J. Bennett, Rocío López de la Lama, Francisco Araos, Raymond K. Ayilu, Prabal Barua, Jessica Blythe, John Childs, Jewel Das, Santiago De la Puente, Irmak Ertör, Pinar Ertor-Akyazi, Tahura Farbin, Leopoldo Cavaleri Gerhardinger, Marion Glaser, Hugh Govan, Aurelia Guasch, Philippe Le Billon, Priscila F. M. Lopes, Melissa Marschke, Navya Vikraman Nair, Prateep Kumar Nayak, Isaac Nyameke, Richard A. Nyiawung, Taryn Pereira Kaplan, Wladimir Riquelme, Aliou Sall, Samiya Ahmed Selim, Gabriel B. G. Souza, Ron Vave, Amber L. Carter, Marina Gomei, Maria B. Honig, Eleanor Sibthorpe, Madhavi Indarjeet, Lamin Jassey, Editrudith Lukanga, Terence Patrick T. Repelente, Olan Leimomi Fisher, Mark Andrachuk, Cecilia Blasco, Marcelo Borges Doroso, Joseph S. Boyle, Annette Breckwoldt, Easkey Britton, Geodisio Castillo, Kai M. A. Chan, Kevin K. J. Chang, Jennifer K. Chapman, Anthony Charles, David Costalago, Roman Eyholzer, Gabriela S. Fernandes, Elena M. Finkbeiner, Juno Fitzpatrick, D Fritsch, João Garcia Rodrigues, Sílvia Gómez, Em Hoggett, Georgia Holly, Barbara Horta e Costa, Jean Hugé, Priscilla Ibadin, Philip E. Jakpor, Johnson Jament, Mahnaz Q. Kadhemi, Mariko Kageyama, Michael Kakande, Peter Kayanga, Joyce Keingati, Ingrid Kelling, Miriah M. R. Kelly, Arne Kinds, Franck P. Koman, Ruth H. Leeney, Marie-Isabell Lenz, Carla A. Leone, Mae Lubetkin, Enock Makupa, Federica Manca, Julie Marty-Gastaldi, Philile Mbatha, Lauren S. McElroy, Elizar Medina, Jerry Timothy Mngomezulu, Percy Munayco Silva, Md. Nahiduzzaman, Nitasha Nehal, Emmanuel Nuesiri, Fernando Pardo Núñez, Sarah Otterstrom, Stefan Partelow, Bodhi L. Patil, Laura M. Pereira, Montse Pijoan, Deborah S. Prado, Paulina Ramírez‐Monsalve, Silvia Rayo Luengo, Alexandra Rubin, Cécile Sabourault, Rocky Sanchez Tirona
Coastal communities worldwide face growing environmental and human rights burdens from the expanding ocean economy. Yet ocean defenders who mobilize to defend the marine environment, their territories, and their rights often experience repression, intimidation, and violence. Society has a moral and legal duty to protect human rights and ocean defenders. Governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, funders, human rights institutions, and the international ocean governance community must mobilize urgently to support and safeguard ocean defenders.