As Hokule‘a sails across the Atlantic from South Africa to Brazil, safety protocols require its crew to monitor other vessels, including large, commercial longline-fishing vessels and lumbering container ships bound for the great ports of the world. There is no mistaking the fact that for many the oceans are there only to extract a profit.

As the earth’s crust becomes depleted of natural resources, more governments and private enterprise are looking to the ocean as the next frontier for economic development. We must resist short-term economic gain to the exclusion of our collective responsibility for long-term stewardship of our oceans’ natural resources. To make them safe for future generations, we must ensure that economic activity is sustainable. This is the mission of Hokule‘a’s around-the-world voyage, Malama Honua, caring for our Island Earth.

Accelerated growth of the “blue economy” is being made possible by advances in technology and the melting and reshaping of polar ice caps, the result of climate change. The European Commission identified five growth areas, according to The Economist magazine: coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, aquaculture, ocean energy and seabed mining. Soon, Canada will be the first to break ground on a seabed copper mine almost a mile beneath the ocean floor in Papua, New Guinea. Existing industry in the world’s oceans, including oil and gas production and underwater cables, continues to grow. Shipping alone is projected to triple by 2030.

As the blue economy emerges, global civilization has another chance to get it right — or not. For two decades, we have seen the benefits and abuses of the green economy. Green-washing will be used as a model for blue-washing as companies deploy marketing efforts and nonprofit foundations that belie their true intentions of mercenary economic gain. The recent U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris resulted in a modicum of global agreement to tackle the issue, but the decadeslong process has been like trying to chase a runaway train. Because the oceans are already compromised from overfishing and pollution from plastic and mercury, this time there will be less room for delay or error.

Many efforts are underway to make it right for the blue planet. Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and one of the captains and master navigators for Hokule‘a’s around-the-world voyage, is also a member of the Ocean Elders a, group of influential individuals dedicated to preserving and protecting the oceans. Hokule‘a recently passed Walvis Bay on the Nambian coast. Known for its diverse bird sanctuary, which houses a quarter of a million winged creatures, including tens of thousands of flamingos, Walvis Bay has been designated a Ramsar Convention Wetland of International Importance since 1995. Before reaching the Brazilian mainland, we will stop 350 miles off the coast at San Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands. Known for its unique and important ocean environment, UNESCO designated it as a Marine World Heritage Site in 2001. These initiatives, which come with regulatory protection, help not only to preserve the natural ocean environment, but also to serve as loci for education and public awareness.

Hokule‘a also passed Ascension Island, part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, which sits right in the middle of the Atlantic. Here, Charles Darwin demonstrated that an ecosystem could be transformed in 20 years, remain vibrant for a century and still go strong. Because it was an important waypoint for the British, it was critical to rehabilitate the island, which had been devastated by rats and goats and buffeted by dry winds from Southern Africa such that no water would collect on the surface. Darwin directed the planting of a random assortment of plants from around the globe over a four-year period. In 20 years, Saint Helena, which Hokule‘a also passed, had a dense forest of Norfolk Pine, bamboo, banana trees and eucalyptus. Moisture was attracted by the trees and thick clouds collected at the peaks. Fresh water now flows. Habitat regrowth on land and in the oceans will continue to be of paramount importance moving forward.

With a clear consensus, creativity, cutting-edge science, ample investment and the right intentions, which prioritize the health of the oceans, almost anything becomes possible. The best strategic plan for the blue economy will not only avert the same errors that have befallen the green economy, it will help correct them. Solutions that create food and energy while sequestering carbon and preserving biodiversity should be the priority.

Ira “Kawika” Zunin, MD, MPH, MBA, is a practicing physician. He is medical director of Manakai O Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. He is now serving on board as medical officer during Hokule‘a’s Atlantic crossing. Manakai remains open with full services during this time. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.