Future Perfect

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nvironment

air

water

oceans

climate

change

But the most pressing problem facing the oceans

now may be climate change and the increasing carbon

concentration in the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The

retreat of Arctic sea ice is more rapid than previously

predicted and is likely to have a profound impact on

ecosystems and human activity in the northernmost

part of the world. Ocean acidification is of growing

concern and we still have poor understanding of how

it could affect marine organisms and ecosystems. What

we do know is that acidification will steadily increase in

tandem with the runaway increase in carbon emissions,

which will have an enormous impact on marine life, so

combating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) is one of

the key actions to keep our oceans healthy. One way

to curb GHGs is to use the power of wind and ocean

waves, a vast but almost untapped source of energy in

currents and tidal flows, which awaits our ingenuity to

mitigate climate change.

Acidification is a particularly severe threat to organ-

isms with shells and exoskeletons made of calcium

carbonate, including shellfish, many plankton species

and corals. Tropical coral reefs are often called the

rainforests of the oceans due to the wealth and variety

of life they support, but corals are also found in cold

waters, including those around Iceland. Ten coral areas

in Icelandic waters are now protected, along with two

undersea hydrothermal vents. These areas are being

designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), but many

more are protected from fisheries on a temporary or

in all parts of the world. They are, however, too few. It has been esti-

mated that the economic cost of fisheries mismanagement globally

amounts to more than US$50 billion a year. Yet this does not reflect

the human cost, as well-managed fisheries could massively boost food

security, nutrition and coastal societies in many parts of the world.

The sea is not only a source of fish for consumption. It is the

cradle of life on Earth, supporting a vast and complex ecosystem

which we know less about than terrestrial life. We need to ensure

its future by putting a stop to pollution and other destructive human

practices. Although significant progress has been made on many

fronts which can be built upon, we face immense challenges. The

time when the ocean was seen as a vast garbage can has long passed.

We have taken many important steps to reduce pollution from ships

and to stop dumping waste into the sea. Chemical pollution of the

ocean has also been reduced under the auspices of the Stockholm

Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and other multilateral

instruments. Yet we cannot maintain we have turned the corner on

marine pollution, most of which comes from the land, where sewage

treatment struggles to keep up with a growing population in coastal

areas. The richest ecosystems and fisheries are more commonly

found along coasts and in shallow waters, where human impact is

more keenly felt.

Important for protecting oceans from land-based activities and

tackling upstream sources of pollution, The Global Programme of

Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-

Based Activities of the United Nations Environment Programme

recently launched a partnership to combat marine litter – a

growing concern among scientists and policymakers – and should

be strengthened in its efforts.

Fishermen in Cape Coast in Ghana. Fisheries are a source of employment, sustenance and quality nutrition to hundreds of millions of people

Image: Hugi Ólafsson