Middleboro Review 2: 🌊 5 facts for World Ocean Day

Saturday, June 8, 2024

🌊 5 facts for World Ocean Day

Environment Update

Today is World Ocean Day, and this year's theme is Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate.

The ocean is essential to keeping the planet—and people—healthy. But its health is in decline, largely because of human activities compounded by the changing climate.

Dive in with us as we explore five threats to our ocean—and how we can help protect it.

Our ocean has more plastic pieces than the Milky Way has stars. By instituting changes in plastic life cycle stages, we can reduce its pollution by 80% by 2040.

From factory to landfill, plastic harms our planet and people. We need comprehensive strategies to address plastic pollution at every stage of the plastic life cycle. A United Nations treaty could help.

$22 billion in subsidies fund overfishing each year. Ratifying a WTO deal would curb harmful payments and help our ocean and communities that rely on the seas.

Harmful fisheries subsidies deplete fish stocks and damage the coastal communities that rely on them. Concluding negotiations as soon as possible to add new rules to the 2022 World Trade Organization agreement could be a lifeline for our ocean.

Only 1% of the high seas are currently protected. Creating sanctuaries in ocean areas that lie beyond national jurisdictions can help protect marine life there.

From dolphins and turtles to phytoplankton and crinoids, marine wildlife relies on healthy high seas. The high seas treaty is an opportunity to establish protected areas beyond national jurisdiction—safeguarding biodiversity and paving the way for a healthier ocean.

Over 1/3 of global fish populations are overfished. Implementing pre-agreed catch limits, or 'harvest strategies,' based on fish stock data can maximize sustainability and profitability.

With oceans warmer than ever, the impact that climate change has already had on marine biodiversity is clear. Fisheries managers must commit to protecting our ocean's health and ensure sustainable fisheries in the face of rising temperatures.

The ocean floor is home to tens of thousands of species. With many more species still undiscovered, it's uncelar how the impacts of seabed mining affect these animals and ecosystems.

The deep sea is home to creatures found nowhere else on Earth. Research shows that noise generated by one seabed mining site could travel hundreds of miles with unknown environmental consequences. Pausing the commencement of seabed mining would safeguard deep-sea ecosystems from irreversible harm.

Stay up to date on all things oceans by:

🎧	Listening: Dive into Pew's "Ocean, People, Planet" podcast season, where we focus on the connection between the health of the ocean and the health of the planet—and what that means for the well-being of all of us.
📖	Reading: Get the latest research, policy recommendations and insights from our ocean governance projects.
🤝	Connecting: Follow us on Twitter @PewEnvironment to see the latest news in ocean conservation.