ABSTRACT1. Most of the people working in the field of marine protection share a common goal: that decision-makers, stakeholders, and the public should see marine protection as a priority and dedicate a portion of their attention and resources to it, making decisions and taking actions that reflect the value of marine protection to ecological and human well-being.2. If this goal is to be achieved, the field of marine protection needs to embrace the field of communication in a more concerted manner.3. This paper outlines some of the latest trends, principles and issues relevant to communication in marine protection and illustrates these with a range of examples. Some of the key themes emerging from this review are discussed.4. A number of strategies for strengthening the role of communications are discussed, including means for those involved in marine protection communications to connect with each other, increased testing and sharing of examples, the use of grounded theory methods to continuously define lessons and principles, and ways to increase coordination between marine protection organizations.5. It is the intention that this paper will mark the beginning of a stronger cross-disciplinary field of study, and that such a field will in turn advance marine protection locally and globally.6. Readers can contribute to this goal and emerging field by connecting with each other around strategies, ideas and examples.

1. Most of the people working in the field of marine protection share a common goal: that decision makers, stakeholders, and the public should see marine protection as a priority and dedicate a portion of their attention and resources to it, making decisions and taking actions that reflect the value of marine protection to ecological and human well-being. 2. If this goal is to be achieved, the field of marine protection needs to embrace the field of communication in a more concerted manner. 3. In this paper we outline some of the latest trends, principles and issues relevant to communication in marine protection and illustrated these with a range of examples. We discuss key themes emerging from our review. 4. We outline a number of strategies for strengthening the role of communications, including means for those involved in marine protection communications to connect with each other, increased testing and sharing of examples, the use of grounded theory methods to continuously define lessons and principles, and ways to increase coordination between marine protection organizations. 5. It is our hope and intention that this paper will mark the beginning of a stronger cross-disciplinary field of study, and that such a field will in turn advance marine protection locally and globally. 6. Readers can contribute to this goal and emerging field by connecting with each other and with us around strategies, ideas and examples.

The human affinity for aquatic species and environments is exemplified through the ubiquity of aquatic themed popular culture including a significant portion of global tourism providing access to places linked to aquatic environments. Yet this affinity does not appear to translate to the widespread support required for the achievement of ambitious aquatic biodiversity conservation goals. Achieving conservation goals is contingent upon broad awareness of the values of biodiversity and what can be done to conserve and use it sustainably as embodied by Aichi Biodiversity Target 1. This paper identifies seven lessons to support marine protected area (MPA) managers and ocean conservation professionals to implement programmes that “Inspire a New Generation” (ING) to learn about, value and conserve aquatic environments: (1) Prioritize Experience; (2) Embrace Technology; (3) Integrate; (4) Focus on Youth; (5) Make it Relevant; (6) Make it Positive; and (7) Engage Other Sectors. These lessons are discussed alongside examples of ING programmes from MPA management authorities and aquatic conservation organizations. The effective application of these lessons requires appropriate levels of institutional commitment and investment in order to achieve success in ING as a precursor to the achievement of aquatic conservation goals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.