Article early view: https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.70000

When we talk about marine conservation, the conversation often turns to big, inspiring commitments—like protecting 30% of the sea by 2030. But behind those headlines lies a more complex challenge: how do we decide what to measure to make sure we’re actually protecting marine biodiversity in all its forms?
Our latest research set out to explore whether new global biodiversity targets truly reflect the complexity scientists see in the ocean. The good news? International policy is making real progress. The cautionary tale? We need to be careful not to lose sight of the foundations that keep the whole system alive.

In 2022, governments from around the world agreed on the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) — the successor to the 2010 Aichi Targets. These targets and goals, to be met by 2030 and 2050 respectively, are meant to guide conservation policy for the next decades.
The GBF is more detailed than its predecessor and, crucially, now covers all six classes of “Essential Biodiversity Variables” (EBVs) — covering all six ensures that no major changes in biodiversity go unnoticed. These range from genetic diversity and species traits to the structure and functioning of ecosystems.

Biodiversity isn’t just about counting species. It’s everything from the genes that make species resilient, to the ways living communities are structured, to the functions ecosystems perform (like carbon storage or storm protection). If we only measure one piece of the puzzle, we risk missing critical changes until it’s too late.
Our study found that the GBF does a far better job than the old Aichi Targets in covering the full spectrum of EBVs, meaning it’s less likely that important dimensions of ocean health will slip through the cracks.

While the GBF has improved, we noticed a trend: a stronger focus on ecosystem-level measures (like overall habitat condition) and a relative decline in attention to foundational measures such as genetic diversity or certain species traits.
Why is this a problem? Because ecosystems function thanks to the living species — and their genetic variety — that make them up. If those foundations are weakened, ecosystem “health” may look fine on the surface while crucial building blocks are disappearing underneath.
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For the GBF’s promise to be realised, countries need to:

• Balance what gets measured — keeping both foundational and ecosystem-level data in the mix.
• Invest in better indicators for overlooked areas like genetic diversity and species traits.
• Strengthen national-level implementation of the GBF targets, they are solid foundations to build on.
• Integrate natural and social sciences so conservation is both ecologically sound and socially fair.