Brief
Bezos Earth Fund awards $25 million to protect Pacific marine areas
The grant, announced on Sept. 17, supports new offshore marine parks in five Pacific nations.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Jeff Bezos' Bezos Earth Fund announced on Sept. 17 a $25 million grant package to protect more than 625,000 square miles of ocean across the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu, according to Fortune.
The funding is the second round of a $100 million Pacific pledge made in 2023; the first round of $37.5 million was distributed in 2025, bringing the total awarded to $63.3 million.
Led by Lauren Sánchez Bezos, the grants will help Papua New Guinea establish its first large offshore marine protected area, expand protected zones in Tonga, support the Cook Islands’ Marae Moana ocean park, and fund habitat‑protection planning in Kiribati and Vanuatu. A grant to the conservation group Rare will also assist Pacific governments in drafting high‑seas protection proposals under the UN High Seas Treaty.
"Out there, the ocean isn’t just a beautiful view – it’s the road, the pantry, the backyard," Sánchez Bezos said, as reported by Fortune.
Key facts
- The Bezos Earth Fund granted $25 million on Sept. 17 for Pacific marine protection. (fortune.com)
- The grants cover the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu. (fortune.com)
- The total awarded by the fund in the Pacific to date is $63.3 million. (fortune.com)
- Lauren Sánchez Bezos is leading the grant program as vice‑chair of the fund. (fortune.com)
- A portion of the funding will help draft high‑seas protection proposals under the UN High Seas Treaty. (fortune.com)
Sources
- [1] fortune.com — originally reported as “Jeff Bezos is giving $25 million to protect the Pacific—but his climate fund still has about $7 billion left to spend in four years”
