The Global Standard for Ocean Conservation Finance

Protecting Our Oceans.
Financing Conservation.

A digital platform for originating, assessing, verifying, and issuing high-integrity ocean-based environmental credits — built digitally from the ground up.

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Paris Agreement Aligned
ICVCM Compliant
Kunming-Montreal GBF
ISO 14064 Conformant
CORSIA Eligible

Project Registry

Featured Projects

Marine conservation projects delivering measurable impact in ocean restoration, coastal carbon sequestration, and biodiversity protection.

MCC-HYBGhost Gear Recovery

Gulf of Gabès Ghost Gear Recovery

Tunisia

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MCC-HYBHybrid Credits

Sundarbans Mangrove & Tiger Conservation

India

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MCC-CCCoastal Carbon

Yucatán Mangrove Shield

Mexico

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MCC-CCCoastal Carbon

Casamance Mangrove Restoration

Senegal

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MCC-CCCoastal Carbon

Lofoten Kelp Restoration

Norway

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MCC-MCUConservation Units

Fiji Great Sea Reef Conservation

Fiji

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MCC-CCCoastal Carbon

Sanriku Coast Kelp Restoration

Japan

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MCC-MCUConservation Units

Raja Ampat Seagrass

Indonesia

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MCC-MCUConservation Units

Svalbard Arctic Marine Ecosystem

Norway

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MCC-CCCoastal Carbon

Mekong Delta Mangrove

Vietnam

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MCC-MCUCoral Restoration

Zanzibar Coral Reef Restoration

Tanzania

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MCC-MCUMarine Protected Area

Belize Barrier Reef MPA

Belize

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MCC-MCUReef Resilience

Great Barrier Reef Resilience

Australia

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MCC-CCKelp Reforestation

Scottish Highlands Kelp

United Kingdom

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MCC-CCKelp Regeneration

Patagonia Giant Kelp

Chile

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MCC-HYBSeagrass Conservation

Gulf of Oman Seagrass

Oman

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MCC-CCBlue Carbon

Bazaruto Archipelago Blue Carbon

Mozambique

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Have a Marine Conservation Project?

Register your project on the MCC platform — mangroves, kelp forests, coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and more.

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Our Foundation

Built on the World's Strongest Frameworks

MCC isn't building from scratch. Every methodology, every credit, and every verification process is anchored in established international climate, biodiversity, and ocean governance frameworks — giving buyers, governments, and investors confidence that MCC credits meet the highest global standards.

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Paris Agreement

Article 6 Mechanisms

MCC credits are structured for use under Paris Agreement Article 6 cooperative approaches, supporting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with corresponding adjustment mechanisms for international transfers. This enables sovereign buyers to count MCC credits toward their climate commitments.

ICVCM Core Carbon Principles

All 10 Principles

Full alignment with the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles — including additionality, permanence, robust quantification, no double counting, and sustainable development safeguards. MCC is designed for CCP-label eligibility.

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Kunming-Montreal GBF

30x30 Biodiversity Targets

Direct contribution to the Global Biodiversity Framework targets — particularly Target 3 (30% marine protection by 2030), Target 2 (ecosystem restoration), and Target 19 (biodiversity finance mobilization). MCC-MCU credits directly finance these outcomes.

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IPCC Guidelines

2006 Guidelines & 2013 Wetlands Supplement

Carbon quantification methodologies follow IPCC Tier 2/3 approaches for coastal and marine ecosystems, including the 2013 Wetlands Supplement and 2019 Refinement. Emission factors, activity data, and uncertainty analysis conform to IPCC good practice guidance.

ISO 14064

Parts 1, 2 & 3

GHG project quantification, monitoring, and reporting conformant with international standards.

CORSIA

Aviation Offsetting

Credit design meets ICAO CORSIA criteria for international aviation emissions offsetting eligibility.

UN Ocean Decade

2021–2030

Advancing outcomes for a clean, healthy, resilient, and sustainably harvested ocean.

EU Taxonomy

Sustainable Finance

Projects aligned with EU classification system for environmentally sustainable economic activities.

Impact at Scale

Building the Blue Economy

15
Countries
Active project sites
17
Projects
Registered & in pipeline
3
Credit Pathways
Carbon · Hybrid · Conservation
$50M+
Pipeline Value
Contracted transactions

Why MCC

The Missing Piece in Ocean Finance

Carbon markets have transformed land-based conservation. MCC brings the same rigour, transparency, and market infrastructure to the ocean — the largest and most underfinanced ecosystem on Earth. Our three credit pathways serve both voluntary buyers and compliance markets, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for ocean finance.

MCC-CC

Blue Carbon Credits

Mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, kelp forests, and salt marshes that sequester atmospheric carbon in marine soils and biomass.

MCC-HYB

Hybrid Credits

Projects that combine measurable carbon sequestration with biodiversity co-benefits — capturing both climate and ecosystem restoration value.

MCC-MCU

Conservation Units

Biodiversity protection, species recovery, and habitat restoration credits that value conservation outcomes independently of carbon.

What Sets MCC Apart

Beyond Traditional Carbon Registries

Where Gold Standard and Verra focus primarily on land-based carbon, MCC is purpose-built for the ocean — with AI-powered verification, marine-specific methodologies, and conservation credits that go beyond carbon.

AI-Assisted Review & Monitoring

TECHNOLOGY

AI pre-screens documentation for completeness and consistency, compressing initial review from weeks to hours. Satellite remote sensing (Sentinel-2, Planet Labs) provides independent ecosystem monitoring, while field-based MRV — including sediment coring, biomass sampling, and dive surveys — delivers the scientific rigour required by ISO 14064. Independent VVB audits remain mandatory for all credit issuance.

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Ocean-Native Methodologies

MARINE-FIRST

Unlike adapted land-based protocols, every MCC methodology is designed from the ground up for marine ecosystems — accounting for tidal cycles, salinity gradients, water column dynamics, and the unique carbon pathways of mangroves, seagrass, and kelp.

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Beyond Carbon: Conservation Units

BIODIVERSITY

MCC-MCU credits value biodiversity, habitat restoration, and species recovery independently of carbon — filling a critical gap that traditional registries cannot address. Aligned with the Kunming-Montreal 30x30 targets.

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Satellite & Remote Sensing Integration

MONITORING

Periodic monitoring via Sentinel-2, Planet Labs, and drone surveys supplements field-based verification with independent ecosystem health data. AI models assist with change detection at sub-hectare resolution, flagging anomalies for expert review.

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Digital-First Registry

TRANSPARENCY

Full transparency from day one. Every credit has a unique serial number, every document is publicly accessible, and every transaction is tracked with audit trails and corresponding adjustment support for Article 6 transfers.

Hybrid Credit Innovation

INNOVATION

MCC-HYB credits stack verified carbon sequestration with measurable biodiversity co-benefits in a single instrument — giving buyers climate and nature impact in one credit, with full traceability of both outcomes.

How It Works

From Concept to Credit

STEP 01

Design & Validate

Project proponents prepare a Project Design Document (PDD) using MCC methodologies. An independent VVB validates the design against IPCC guidelines and MCC standards.

STEP 02

Register & Implement

Validated projects are registered on the MCC Registry. Continuous monitoring via satellite imagery, IoT sensors, and field surveys — conformant with ISO 14064.

STEP 03

Verify & Issue

Third-party verification confirms outcomes against ICVCM Core Carbon Principles. Credits are issued with unique serial numbers and tracked with full transparency.

Methodological Rigour

Standards Framework

Comprehensive, peer-reviewed standards covering every aspect of marine conservation credit design, quantification, and verification.

MCC-001
General Principles
MCC-010
Baseline Setting
MCC-020
Additionality
MCC-030
Carbon Quantification
MCC-040
Leakage Assessment
MCC-050
Permanence & Buffers
MCC-060
Monitoring Protocols
MCC-070
Verification Standards
MCC-080
Biodiversity Co-benefits
MCC-850
AI & Remote Sensing
View All Standards

Trust & Transparency

Integrity by Design

Every safeguard is built into the protocol — not bolted on after.

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01

Independent Verification

All projects validated and verified by accredited third-party VVBs under ISO 14065. No self-certification.

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02

Public Registry

Every project document, verification report, and credit issuance is publicly accessible and searchable — full transparency.

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03

Permanence Assurance

Buffer pools, insurance mechanisms, and long-term monitoring protect against credit reversals per ICVCM permanence requirements.

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04

Anti-Fraud Framework

Unique serial numbers, continuous audit trails, and automated double-counting prevention with corresponding adjustment support.

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05

Community Safeguards

Indigenous rights, community engagement, and equitable benefit-sharing built into every project per GBF social safeguards.

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06

Scientific Methodology

Evidence-based protocols developed by marine scientists, grounded in IPCC guidelines, and reviewed by international expert panels.

Updates

Latest News

Mar 2026

MCC Platform Launch

Marine Conservation Credits launches its digital registry platform, enabling global access to marine conservation credit markets.

Feb 2026

Scotland Kelp Project Enters Validation

North Atlantic kelp forest restoration project advances to independent validation phase with DNV.

Jan 2026

Tunisia LNO Received

Tunisia ghost gear recovery project receives Letter of No Objection from host country government.

Dec 2025

GFS Methodology Submitted

MCC flagship Ghost Fishing Gear methodology formally submitted for international review and assessment.

Nov 2025

Partnership with SGS

Strategic partnership established with SGS to expand validation and verification capacity across Southeast Asia.

Oct 2025

MCC-850 AI Standard Published

New standard on AI and satellite monitoring published, enabling advanced remote sensing for marine carbon quantification.

Stay Updated

Project updates, standards releases, and marine conservation insights — delivered to your inbox.

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Ready to Make an Impact?

Develop, register, or invest in marine conservation projects that deliver real, verified outcomes for our oceans.

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