Marine Environments

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Our oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface and provide a habitat for approximately 90% of the planet's living biomass. The mostly unexplored deep seabed is the largest reservoir of biodiversity on the planet. Ocean ecosystems support all life on this planet. They provide oxygen and food, buffer the weather, and regulate global temperature.

The oceans also clean up vast amounts of human pollutants. But despite the oceans' great natural capacity for self-purification, human activities are threatening the health, productivity and biodiversity of the marine environment.

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels has caused the oceans' acidity levels to rise significantly. This change upsets the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

"Unless we change the way we manage the oceans, we will totally eradicate the world's fish stocks by 2048."

There is scientific evidence that unless we fundamentally change the way we manage the oceans, we will totally eradicate the world's fish stocks by 2048. Already, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that 75% of the world's fish stocks are fully exploited, overexploited or depleted.

This is in part due to the pervasiveness of fishing activities that do not respect existing conservation regulations. These activities are commonly referred to as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing undermines environmental protection efforts, and jeopardises food security and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

An important tool for protecting and conserving the oceans' biodiversity is the designation of areas where human activities are severally restricted. These are known as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and can protect vulnerable habitats and allow damaged ecosystems to recover and begin functioning naturally again.