Marine Protected Areas

Exploring Paramount: A Journey to Protect Migrating Sharks: In January 2025, Dr. Alex Hearn, president of MigraMar, together with Joakim Odelberg, led a two-week expedition to Paramount Seamount, a shallow underwater mountain off Ecuador's coast.

The purpose was to extend the marine protected area, as Dr. Hearn suspected it was a hotspot for migrating species and sharks. The team tagged ten hammerhead sharks and four pelagic thresher sharks, used baited stereo-video cameras to observe marine life, and collected water samples for DNA analysis. The expedition confirmed the area's abundance of sharks, contributing valuable data for conservation efforts. Joakim Odelberg documented the entire expedition, capturing the crucial work and its impact, which will be featured in a 30-minute documentary about the expedition.