The wave of new global conservation targets and area-based conservation tools, the conclusion of the high seas treaty, as well as the rapid expansion of extractive uses into the deep sea call for a paradigm shift in ocean conservation. The current reductionist two-dimensional representation of the ocean to set targets and measure impacts will fail at achieving effective biodiversity conservation. Here, we develop a framework that overlays depth realms onto marine ecoregions to conduct the first three-dimensional spatial analysis of global marine conservation achievements and fisheries footprint. Our novel approach reveals conservation gaps of twilight and abyssal depths and an underrepresentation of high protection levels from the shallow to the deep. In contrast, the 3D footprint of fisheries expands across all depths, with benthic fishing occurring down to the lower bathyal and mesopelagic fishing peaking in areas of abyssal depths. The three-dimensional mismatch between areas heavily fished and those highly protected emphasizes the need to shift towards a 3D approach to achieve effective biodiversity conservation and in turn, ocean sustainability.
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