The Defying Ocean’s End (DOE) conference took place from 30 May to 3 June 2003 in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, this event brought together scientists, economists, conservationists, and senior government representatives from more than 20 countries with the aim of developing a comprehensive and achievable agenda to reverse the decline in health of the world’s ocean. The meeting resulted in several preliminary recommendations, including, inter alia, the need to: promote a World Ocean Public Trust; expand the global system of marine parks; and to create an ocean ethic. To ensure that the DOE’s agenda becomes a reality, an anonymous donor has provided Conservation International, the coordinating organization of the conference, a US$5 million, five-year grant. The grant requires $4 million in matching funds, to bring the total to $9 million of funding. More information is available at: http://www.conservation.org/xp/news/press_releases/030303.xml