Delegates at a United Nations conference this month recommended international protection be provided for a cold, nutrient-rich expanse of water that moves by seasons along the coast of Central America and out into the high seas of the Pacific. Called the Costa Rican Thermal Convection Dome, the mobile habitat contains some of the world’s greatest marine biodiversity, and can grow as big as 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in diameter. That’s why delegates at the 12th meeting on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, held Oct. 6-17 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, designated the thermal convection dome as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA). The designation, which invites international cooperation in managing the resource, marked a triumph for Costa Rica. The Central American country... [Log in to read more]