As we approach this month’s summit on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress towards meeting the 17 SDGs by 2030 is disappointing (Nature618 , 647; 2023 ). However, target 5 of SDG 14 seems now to have been met (subject to formal approval of the data). This SDG 14.5 target enjoins member states to conserve “at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas” by 2020. As anticipated ( S. B. Gidda et al. Nature605 , 619; 2022 ), the UN Environment Prog...