Protecting Our Seas Through OECMs / Unlocking OECMs in the East Asian Seas
The OECM Toolkit is a significant regional resource for government officials and practitioners.
This proposal outlines a short video series designed to extend the toolkit's impact: making the concept of OECMs accessible, compelling, and actionable for governments and practitioners across the East Asian Seas region and beyond.
The series positions OECMs not as a technical compliance requirement, but as a practical, already-proven tool that countries can adopt to strengthen marine conservation and meet global biodiversity commitments. With less than 5% of the East Asian Seas currently protected, and the 30x30 deadline of 2030 fast approaching, the urgency is real — and the opportunity is significant.
Videos are designed to work as a series and as standalone assets, timed for release at a regional event in October 2026.
Three videos, designed to work independently and as a connected series. Video 1 sets the stage; Videos 2 and 3 bring it to life on the ground.
Opens with the urgency of the 30x30 deadline and the gap between current marine protection levels and what's needed. Introduces OECMs as a tool that's already working — conservation happening on the ground that simply isn't being counted. Covers what OECMs are, why they matter for biodiversity, ecosystems, livelihoods and global targets, and maps the momentum building across the East Asian Seas region.
Closes with a clear call to action — for governments and communities to work together to identify and register OECMs — and bridges directly to the country case studies.
Spotlights a specific OECM site, bringing together the landscape, biodiversity and the people who depend on it. Structured around Place → People → Process: the site's ecological significance, voices from government officials, community members, fishers and local stewards, and what OECM recognition means in practice.
Raw mobile interview footage cuts into the animated framework as authentic soundbites. Demonstrates a key principle from the toolkit — showing rather than telling — and connects back to the guidance for that country's approach.
A second country lens, selected to contrast or complement Video 2 — different governance model, ecosystem type or community context. Same structure, distinct story. Together Videos 2 and 3 prove that OECMs are not a single template but an adaptable framework with real momentum across the region.
Each case study video showcases an aspect of how to establish a successful OECM, with the videos collectively proving several points made in the toolkit.
Systematic OECM identification methodology developed with UNDP. Colour-coded assessment system, Biodiversity Awards pipeline.
Draft DAO (Aug 2025) creating national OECM framework. Diverse site types — mangroves, sacred sites, fisheries, shipwrecks.
150,000 km² of marine Ecological Conservation Red Lines as potential OECMs. Government-led, large-scale systems approach.
Beyond the three videos, a suite of supporting digital assets extends the toolkit's reach across platforms and decision-maker touchpoints — driving traffic to the full resource and ensuring the series is optimised for the channels where target audiences are most active.
Two static assets produced for the UNEP-COBSEA site listing. A full-width hero banner anchors the toolkit's page and introduces the video series as the primary entry point. A body visual / executive summary infographic distils the toolkit's core content into a single scannable graphic — what OECMs are, why they matter, and the key steps for identification and recognition — sitting inline on the page to drive engagement with both the toolkit and the video series.
A standalone designed PDF summarising the OECM Toolkit for decision-maker audiences unlikely to engage with the full document. Covers the case for OECMs, the regional opportunity, and key implementation steps, with links to the video series to drive viewership. Formatted for digital sharing and print — intended as a leave-behind for government briefings, regional meetings, and the October 2026 launch event.
One cut-down per video, formatted vertically for LinkedIn. Each is a 30–60 second standalone piece that captures the core message of its parent video and drives viewers to watch in full. Sourced directly from the animated and hybrid footage already produced for the series — no additional filming required. TBC — pending budget fit
A short branded opener and closer — 3–5 seconds each — applied consistently across all three videos, anchoring the series to the Beyond Boundaries identity and UNEP-COBSEA attribution. The visual language of the series branding also informs the static assets, ensuring coherence across all deliverables.
Fast-paced motion graphics driven by real imagery — photographs and stills of marine and coastal landscapes cut and animated into dynamic compositions. Visual language draws from mixed-media collage: photographic elements masked into geometric shapes, layered with bold typographic overlays and graphic colour fields. Contemporary and editorial — authoritative without feeling institutional, energetic without losing clarity.
The toolkit's teal, navy and amber palette carries through all three videos, creating visual coherence across the series and continuity with the existing COBSEA brand identity.
Each video opens with a rapid-fire montage of marine and coastal imagery — coral reefs, mangroves, fishing communities, open ocean — stitched with ambient environmental sound: water, wind, the texture of coastal life. Fast cuts, building pace. The sequence establishes both the beauty of what's at stake and the urgency of the moment before the narrative begins. Adapted per video to reflect the country or theme of each episode.
2–2.5 minutes maximum. Tight editing rhythm throughout — no lingering shots. Motion graphics elements animate in sync with the voiceover, reinforcing key statistics and concepts visually as they're spoken. For Videos 2 and 3, raw mobile interview soundbites cut in as authentic breaks from the animation, grounding the storytelling in real voices from the ground.
Ambient marine and coastal sounds woven throughout as an active layer, not background filler — reinforcing the environment being discussed. Music bed aligned to pace: present but not overpowering, stepping back during interview moments. Transitions use sound design to maintain energy and forward motion between sequences.
One ambassador per video, matched to the country or regional focus of each episode. English narration throughout. Tone: warm, direct, credible — not performative. AI voiceover (female) as fallback option if ambassador scheduling does not permit.
Total budget: USD 10,000, inclusive of all production, third-party, and coordination costs.
Budget is indicative at this stage and subject to revision as scope is confirmed.
Production runs April through July 2026, with a public launch timed to a regional event in October 2026.