Earth’s oceans are houses for more than 250,000 species, small of them, plankton, colored coral reefs and huge blue whales. More than one billion people rely on food from the sea as an important source of nutrition.
The international community is now holding a meeting in Nice, France, which is to exclude solutions for better protection of the planet’s weak and looted ocean water. But what is the field of concern at the United Nations Ocean Conference?
Hot oceans mean low water residents
As the planet is hot, the huge self -stakes of the underwater life are at stake.
With rising temperatures, corals can loosen their color as a stress response and the thesis can then do significant habitat. Coral bleaching affects about 84% of all rocks.
If the sea temperature increases by 1.5 ° C (2.7 ° F) compared to pre-industrial time, most rocks will die.
“With anything exceeding 2 ° C, the destruction would be unavoidable,” said Katja Matthese, director of the Jiomer Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Nail in Northern Germany.
Hot water so absorbs low oxygen and puts many more water organisms at risk. New research suggests that the oceans are already warm to a depth of 2,000 meters (about 6.600 ft).
“This means that Plankton, fish and marine mammals exit oxygen. We see the death zone here in the Baltic Sea of Germany, where life is almost present.”
Overfishing stresses on marine ecosystems
Plits a stress on the sea ecosystem for excessive and irregular fishing. Environmental organization wwf It is estimated that the number of overfined shares globally in the last 50 years has been three times. The fish population has no chance to recur if they are exploited.
The problem is specificly severe in the Mediterranean Sea, where more than half of the fish population, such as herring, sardine and ankovies, are considered overflow.
“This affects the food chain of large marine mammals and in turn affects the ecosystem affecting the ecosystem,” Matthes said.
Fish is the most important source of protein for more than one billion people. More than 600 million people depend on the oceans for their livelihood , Especially in China, Indonesia and India.
More plastic than fish in oceans by 2050
By 2050, the weight of all fish can be given by something else: plastic waste. Every year, about 8 to 10 million tons of plastic ends in water. This is accounting Estimates by World Resources InstituteA non -profit organization located in Washington DC
It may take hundreds of years to break the plastic. Constant waste and microplastic particles are causing growing problems for marine life.
Sea temperature affects weather patterns
The streams of the global ocean have a major impact on the monsoon period in the last light climate of South America and Asia and Europe.
The Gulf stream, for example, as part of the Atlantic meridial overturning circulation (AMOC), brings warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic Ocean. It helps in regulating the mild air temperature of Europe and thus, is central for high agricultural yields of the continent.
According to the researchers, the rising temperature may old the AMOC. There are indications that the Gulf stream is already slowing down. Without this, according to the German environmental agency UBA, Northern Europe will cool 5 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Ocensmen as ‘aide in the fight against climate change’
According to the latest report of the Earth observation program of the European Union, Copernicus, sea surface temperatures set new records in 2023 and 2024. Water spreads as soon as the water is hot. It is one of the main reasons for increase in sea level, with melting land ice.
The sea is heating up, as it absorbs CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. It is sucked about a third of man-made emissions.
“Within storage function, the temperature in the atmosphere is already unattainable,” Marine scientist Carlos Duarte said, which is located in King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.
“Ocean is our partner in the fight against climate change,” said Mathes, “But as long as we maintain its work.” With an increase in water temperature, the oceans absorb low CO2.
And the level of high CO2 changes the marine acidic, kills muscles and corals, Mathes said.
Adjusting more acidic conditions is difficult on many beings, and this means that they can reduce the energy required to grow and breed.
How is the oceans protect now?
To combat thesis hazards, countries have established a maritime protected area. The largest of these is located away from the coast of Hawaii in America.
The security provided in such areas varies from the country to the country. Pawan farm construction and fishing are often prohibited. Currently, the world’s less than 9% of the oceans have preserved areas – but fishing is prohibited in only 3% thesis.
Target to cut plastic in oceans
“We cannot solve all problems with marine protected areas. These areas do not matter to climate change or plastic floating plastic,” Duterte said.
The United Nations has pushed to an international treaty for years to cut plastic pollution. The recent conversation discovered Saudi Arabia and Russia thanks to oil and gas producing nations. The next round of talks are scheduled for August in Switzerland.
Research in traditional plastic options is pursuing another Avenue scientists. Japanese researchers have developed a substance that is about to dissolve in the sea saltwater within hours.
However, search new options do not already provide any solution to plastic waste in the oceans.
Who is allowed to take advantage of ocean resources?
About 40% of the oceans are ruled by the national law. These are areas within 370 kilometers (about 230 mi) around a state. Beyond this line are the high seas, which do not belong to any nation and are often referred to as “normal heritage of mankind”.
For the longest time, the region was not regulated at all.
“As a result, many of the ocean resources were held accountable with someone with a stogue hero,” Duterte said.
So far, only 1% of the high seas are protected as the international community may not agree on any other area other than Antarctica.
The International Conference on the high seas signed by 134 countries in 2023 after 15 years of talks is to stop the difference.
However, it becomes binding only when at least 60 countries have confirmed the treaty. So far, 49 have done so, small of them as well as Bangladesh and France. Germany and America have not yet confirmed the treaty.
The international community has agreed to protect biodiversity. The target is to keep 30% oceans under security by 2030, so well in the next five years.
It is ambitious, Duarte said, “It will take time for our current tasks to make a noticeable impact in the future.”
Nevertheless, he said that he is optimistic. “If we now agree on this safety, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren and grandchildren in 2050 which roughly our grandparents knew.”
This article was the original published in German and was adapted by Sara Stephen.
Edited by: anke rasper
