The marine megafauna & blue carbon: how protecting charismatic ocean species contributes to climate protection , an official UN Ocean Conference side event, will take place on June 29th at the Pavilion of Knowledge. The event will focus on the ecosystem functions of marine megafauna, including cetaceans and other marine mammals, key policy and principles, and their main threats, whilst highlighting key solutions for their protection and threat mitigation. In collaboration with the Ocean Governance Marine Mammal Twinning, and others, the Marine Mammals Management Toolkit will be presented as a potential solution to equip MPA managers and policy makers with tools to effectively manage marine mammals through Marine Protected Areas, protecting critical ecosystem functions.