by Suzi Tart, AAWE Paris
When talking about oceans and the environment, the first image that often comes to mind is that of plastic bags and other debris that has ended up there. But even though we can’t see it, the oceans are silently being degraded by the climate.
In a few days the world’s attention will be on Spain, as global leaders, scientists, businesses, civil society groups and concerned citizens in general descend upon Madrid in an effort to try to stop climate change. Chile, the country that was originally supposed to be the host of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25), had planned on oceans being a main focus of this year’s event, giving it the name “the Blue COP.”
Given the direct relationship between the climate and the ocean, it’s shocking that the ocean hasn’t been a more prominent part of the last 24 COPs. There isn’t even an ocean workstream within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Because the Ocean, 2019a). Sure, we often hear about melting glaciers causing sea-level rise and increased storm activity, but there are other substantial ways climate change is impacting marine life:
- Ocean warming: The oceans are like sponges that absorb heat from our greenhouse gas emissions. This inevitably results in higher ocean temperatures, which makes it difficult for some marine species and ecosystems to survive. Corals, for example, start to bleach at even slight temperature increases,
and this further causes many marine animals to lose their breeding grounds (Laffoley & Baxter, 2016). - Ocean acidification: In the absorption of greenhouse gases, carbon gets stored in the oceans, thus changing the natural pH levels of the water and making the waters more acidic (Madaan, n.d.). This also causes minerals such as calcium carbonate to decline. Marine organisms that depend upon calcium carbonate in the water to produce their shells, such as coral and plankton, then start to dissolve (Earth Journalism Network, 2016).
- Deoxygenation: As the oceans warm, there is less oxygen available in the water. Some organisms are unable to live with less oxygen. Others experience changes in behavior, reproduction and growth. While climate change is the main cause of deoxygenation, it is not the only cause; other causes are nutrient-polluted waters and overfishing.
Together, these three anthropogenic factors exacerbate the issue, resulting in ecosystems that have lowered resilience and stability (Gallo, n.d.). The oceans are currently absorbing far too much heat and carbon at a rate far too fast for most marine life to adapt. As if that weren’t enough, human populations are expected to face economic and humanitarian challenges as a result: tourism-dependent communities will lose their financial footing, food security issues will arise from a lack of fish, coastal shorelines will be less protected by coral reefs from storms and cyclones (Coast Adapt, 2017), and human settlements will become more vulnerable to migration and displacement (Cicin-Sain & Balgos, 2017).
Oceans serve as a source of renewable energy and play a role in many countries’ adaptation plans. They are unique in that they also help to mitigate climate change by absorbing heat and carbon. Some experts are rightly concerned that if oceans have a greater presence at this year’s COP, the emphasis will get placed on using them for their mitigation properties to absorb more carbon, rather than on protecting marine life. This could then lead to controversial tactics such as: 1) ocean fertilization - adding iron into the ocean so as to boost the growth of algae and phytoplankton in hopes of capturing more carbon, and 2) ocean grabbing - reserving areas of the ocean for carbon market spaces and thus keeping small-scale fishermen from their livelihoods. (Sauer, 2019).
So what can be done? There are several measures countries can take to protect the health of the oceans, such as monitoring ocean acidification, increasing the number of protected marine species and areas, and reducing emissions from the shipping industry (Sauer, 2019).
As Chile is home to more than 4,000 miles of coastline, not to mention the largest marine reserve for the Americas (Lee, 2015), it was an ideal host for “the Blue COP.” The good news, however, is that Spain has also been an advocate of ocean action, so the focus on blue issues should not get drowned out by the change in location (Because the Ocean, 2019b). My only hope, however, is that with this focus, countries and negotiators will remember the ocean is so much more than a carbon sink for achieving their Paris goals.
To keep track of what’s happening regarding the oceans at COP25, check out Because the Ocean.
Sources:
Because the Ocean. (2019a). Home page. Retrieved from becausetheocean.org
Because the Ocean. (2019b). COP25: The Blue COP just became bluer. Retrieved from becausetheocean.org/tag/cop25/
Cicin-Sain, B., and Balgos, M. (November 11, 2017). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Press Release: Progressing faster climate action on oceans. Retrieved from unfccc.int/news/progressing-faster-climate-action-on-oceans
Coast Adapt. (April 27, 2017). Ocean acidification and its risks. Retrieved from coastadapt.com.au/ocean-acidification-and-its-effects
Earth Journalism Network. (June 9, 2016). Ocean acidification and coral bleaching. Retrieved from earthjournalism.net/resources/ocean-acidification-and-coral-bleaching
Gallo, N. (n.d.). Ocean Scientists for Informed Policy: Ocean deoxygenation. Retrieved from oceanscientists.org/index.php/topics/ocean-deoxygenation
Laffoley, D. and Baxter, J.M. (eds.) (2016). IUCN Issues Brief: Ocean warming. Retrieved from iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/ocean-warming
Lee, J. (October 5, 2015). National Geographic: Chile creates largest marine reserve in the Americas. Retrieved from nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/10/151005-desventuradas-islands-marine-protected-area-conservation-science/
Madaan, S. (n.d.) What is ocean acidification? Retrieved from eartheclipse.com/environment/causes-effects-solutions-of-ocean-acidification.html
Sauer, N. (April 25, 2019). Climate Home News: Chile’s ‘Blue COP’will push leaders to protect oceans to heal climate. Retrieved from climatechangenews.com/2019/04/25/chiles-blue-cop-will-push-leaders-protect-oceans-heal-climate/
