In Issue 15 of Patagon Journal about two-thirds of the 104 pages contain diverse articles about marine conservation. Award-winning journalist David Helvarg writes about the fate of the world's coral reefs. Daniel Casado and Juan Pablo Casado show us the blue whale research going on along Chile's southern coast. Enric Sala contributes amazing underwater photography about the National Geographic Pristine Seas project. We have interviews with Chile environment minister Marcelo Mena, marine scientist Dan Laffoley, surfer Ramon Navarro, and Belize marine activist Janet Gibson. Wildlife Conservation Society Chile director Barbara Saavedra explains the promising efforts to create a Patagonia Marine Protected Areas Network. Stephanie Stefanski presents the role of tourism in marine protection. And Patagon Journal executive editor Jimmy Langman weighs in with our cover story outlining the crisis - and challenges - with protecting the ocean.

This issue came about in part because Patagon Journal was invited by Chile’s Ministry of Environment to distribute a special marine conservation edition to the participants of the Fourth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC4). The conference, which convenes this week in La Serena, Chile, is organized every four years in different countries by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world's largest public-private environmental network. 
 
In this edition we also give our picks for the best places for birdwatching in South America, Patrick Nixon tells us about the rewarding trekking possible at Cabo Froward, David Tecklin writes about the life of Chilean conservationist Elisa Corcuera, and there are still more stories about nature, environment, culture, travel and outdoor sports in Patagonia and the world’s last wild places. 

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