Kristin Bauer Instagram – Are you ready to dive in with our “A Sea of Hope” series? Explore Aotearoa (New Zealand) where local advocates and Indigenous leaders allow the ocean’s voice to speak through them in our latest episode– streaming now on YouTube! Through these changemakers’ deep connections with the waters they call home, they lead the way toward restoring the region’s ecosystems. Diving into New Zealand’s depths, we discover that what was once a thriving, bountiful underwater metropolis has become a desolate and empty landscape devoid of activity. Overfishing eliminated key ecosystem contributors within the region’s kelp forests, and in our interconnected natural world, dramatic change rippled well beyond the impacted marine species. In a country whose territory is 93% ocean, only 0.38% of its regional waters fall within a protected area. But in those sparse safe havens, an amazing contrast appears. Lush kelp flows with the currents, and life abounds among the rich algae ecosystem. Visit the link in our bio and discover the power marine protections can possess for the health of our ocean’s ecosystems. Video by @paulnicklen @mitty @andy_mann @youngoceanexplorers @rileyhath #ocean #nature #stingray #aseaofhope #newzealand