The Clinton Global Initiative made waves yesterday when it announced that it will be partnering with National Geographic's Pristine Seas project. The Clinton Global Initiative convenes global leaders yearly in order to create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges, and it has been made clear that the protection of the planet's species-rich marine areas is a priority.

According to National Geographic, the Pristine Seas project was launched by Dr. Enric Sala in order to find, survey, and help protect the last wildest places in the ocean. This includes not only preserving areas that are pristine or near pristine, but also helping to restore areas that may have suffered some human impacts but still harbor unique features such as large animals, healthy bottom communities, and outstanding biodiversity.

Locations where the Pristine Seas project works include Mozambique, Gabon, New Caledonia, Cocos Island, and Franz Josef Land. The partnership plans to increase the current number of expeditions by at least 20 in the next five years, and also has a goal of convincing governments to officially safeguard more than 770,000 square miles of ocean.

Former President Bill Clinton stated, "Preserving our oceans is essential for protecting biodiversity... The ocean is the world's largest natural resource, yet human impact on the ocean is undeniable," further urging expanded efforts to protect ocean life. Terry Garcia, National Geographic's chief science and exploration officer, commented that overfishing, pollution, and climate change are some of the ocean's biggest threats.

Hopefully, this new partnership will help to curb those threats. Some countries have already been working diligently with the Pristine Seas project - government leaders have protected areas in the United States, Chile, Kiribati, and Costa Rica that span more than 150,000 square miles.

National Geographic reports that if the current campaign is successful, it will help countries meet the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity's target of protecting 10% of the world's oceans by 2020.