A milestone for global ocean protection, and for everyone who helped make it possible.
The High Seas Treaty has been awarded the Earthshot Prize in the Revive Our Oceans category, recognising more than two decades of collaboration to protect nearly half of our planet that lies beyond national borders.
Represented at the ceremony in Rio de Janeiro by the High Seas Alliance, the award honours the collective work of more than 70 organisations that have campaigned alongside governments, scientists, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to secure this landmark agreement. The Treaty reached 60 ratifications in September 2025 and will enter into force on 17 January 2026, creating a global legal framework to conserve biodiversity, establish networks of representative and well-connected marine protected areas in the High Seas and ensure fair sharing of the ocean’s resources.
For us, this achievement is deeply personal. As a founding member of the High Seas Alliance in 2011, our team has supported the Treaty’s journey from negotiation to ratification, connecting science, policy and public awareness through creative communications to build lasting ocean protection.
At the awards ceremony, Communications INC Senior Policy Advisor Nathalie Rey joined High Seas Alliance Director Rebecca Hubbard to accept the prize on behalf of all those who have worked tirelessly to protect the ocean we all share.
“This recognition belongs to everyone who has worked over the years to make the High Seas Treaty a reality,” said Mirella von Lindenfels, Co-Founder of Communications INC and founding member of the High Seas Alliance. “It shows what’s possible when science, policy, and communication come together behind a shared goal, protecting the ocean that connects us all. The Treaty is an extraordinary milestone, but the real measure of success will be how we bring it to life.”
Huge congratulations to all involved, and to the global community of advocates, scientists, and communicators whose collective effort made this achievement possible.
This recognition celebrates what has been achieved, and what’s still to come.
The work continues.
Learn more
Read the full announcement from the High Seas Alliance
Explore the Earthshot Prize winners
