Marine conservation is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the recognition that oceans are socio‑ecosystems shaped by tightly interwoven relationships between humans, non‑human, and inanimate entities. Marine conservation thus increasingly requires approaches that overcome traditional divides between: nature and culture; natural and social sciences; science and society. Such dualisms are inadequate for addressing current socio‑ecological crises—driven by extractive, destructive, and inequitable development models—making conservation inherently interdisciplinary. Global frameworks such as the CBD 30×30 target therefore stress the need to integrate ecological and social effectiveness. Marine Protected Areas exemplify these socio‑ecological interactions. However, research often remains disciplinarily constrained and bounded within academia, limiting a full understanding of conservation dynamics. While recent developments and interdisciplinary initiatives (e.g., the establishment of interdisciplinary institutes, new journals, the UN Ocean Decade) promote integration, effective collaboration between natural and social sciences remains limited. Emerging interdisciplinary perspectives and multispecies studies highlight the need to break down ontological divides and adopt relational, holistic frameworks that acknowledge interdependence, shared vulnerability, and the agency of more‑than‑human actors. Transdisciplinary approaches based on co‑produced knowledge and civil society participation are also essential for achieving effective and equitable conservation outcomes. Ocean scientists (bio-ecological, social and economic sciences, and humanities) can contribute to the common good of multispecies societies by integrating diverse knowledge systems and cultivating ethical sensibilities grounded in care, reciprocity, and socio‑ecological dynamics. Reframing conservation as a co‑constructed, relational process—rather than a human‑centred effort to protect passive nature—requires transformative shifts in ontology, epistemology, methodologies, ethics, and policies. This entails challenging entrenched anthropocentric assumptions, rejecting the commodification of biodiversity, and embracing multispecies democracy and eco‑justice.