06.09.23
In celebration of World Oceans Week, Mary Kay, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, has reaffirmed its decades-long partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to support ocean conservation and coral reef protection.
Because traditional reef conservation strategies have not been enough to counter the global loss of coral reefs, Mary Kay, a signatory to the UN Global Compact Sustainable Ocean Principles, is supporting experts from TNC, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and Stanford University as they lead a collaborative effort to discover the secrets of “super reefs” – a diverse coral community within a reef system that is more resistant or resilient to damaging heatwaves – in efforts to predict, prove and protect critical coral reefs.
Mary Kay’s continued support of TNC’s Global Oceans and Super Reefs programs allows researchers to assess reef health, identify potential super reef locations, and discuss opportunities to improve reef management locally. This information will help guide conservation and restoration efforts. Current areas of interest for super reefs work include Hawaii, Palau, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Belize.
“TNC is committed to conserving 4 billion hectares of the ocean by 2030, and we are grateful for support from Mary Kay to help achieve this critical goal. Strong partnerships with governments, non-profits, companies, and local communities are essential to our success,” said Dr. Lizzie Mcleod, TNC’s Global Oceans Director.
Protecting Critical Coral Reefs
Coral reefs, often referred to as the rainforests of the sea, cover less than 1% of the world’s surface area but support 25% of all marine life and over one billion people.Because traditional reef conservation strategies have not been enough to counter the global loss of coral reefs, Mary Kay, a signatory to the UN Global Compact Sustainable Ocean Principles, is supporting experts from TNC, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and Stanford University as they lead a collaborative effort to discover the secrets of “super reefs” – a diverse coral community within a reef system that is more resistant or resilient to damaging heatwaves – in efforts to predict, prove and protect critical coral reefs.
Mary Kay’s continued support of TNC’s Global Oceans and Super Reefs programs allows researchers to assess reef health, identify potential super reef locations, and discuss opportunities to improve reef management locally. This information will help guide conservation and restoration efforts. Current areas of interest for super reefs work include Hawaii, Palau, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Belize.
“TNC is committed to conserving 4 billion hectares of the ocean by 2030, and we are grateful for support from Mary Kay to help achieve this critical goal. Strong partnerships with governments, non-profits, companies, and local communities are essential to our success,” said Dr. Lizzie Mcleod, TNC’s Global Oceans Director.
Supporting Coastal Wetlands in Texas
This year, Mary Kay will also continue its support of the Coastal Wetlands in Texas, the beauty brand’s home state. In 2023, TNC will continue working toward its three-year project objectives:- identify priority wetland areas for protection and restoration across more than 27,000 kilometers of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico,
- produce a Coastal Conservation and Restoration Action Plan for Texas’ three blue carbon ecosystems—mangroves, salt marsh, and seagrass—including mapping areas where we expect wetlands will migrate in the future due to climate change,
- assess the feasibility of blue carbon markets to support long-term wetland management needs in Texas, and
- identify a dynamic coastal wetland site that can be established as a “living laboratory” to share conservation techniques, explore blue carbon offsets, and highlight the importance of these critical ecosystems.
