The intend of this Seminar is to explore the topic of sea sustainability and how to reduce the impact of human activities on the ocean, one of the most important places on planet earth and home to thousands of different plant and animal species. The Ocean and the Seas that compose its vital ecosystems make up 70% of the earth’s surface, hold an enormous amount of life, and act as a buffer against many global issues, including climate changes, over-harvesting and pollution. The warming of the ocean is a large contributor to climate change, it can absorb excess heat in the climate system but, the temperature of the sea has increased by almost 1° Celsius over the last century. Temperature changes affect the distribution and movement of marine life, including fish, shellfish and turtles, which can, in turn, affect fish stocks in certain areas. The ocean is responsible also for extreme weather patterns, including monsoons and cyclones. The sea is an essential ecosystem, and any changes to its natural state can result in wildlife disruptions, distribution and population size of different species, food chains and habitats. What does sustainability at sea mean? The definition of sustainability more generally is any action or process we perform that causes little or no harm to the natural world or living creatures, including other humans. It’s all about finding ways to meet the demands of life without causing detriment to society or compromising future generations. Practically, all about approaching ocean management in a way that protects it and the services it provides. There are several significant issues affecting the ocean sustainability right now. These are all things we need to face and attempt to find solutions for in the future if we ever want to have a sustainable sea. In the seminar, we will debate some of the most pressing issues facing our seas. A first big threat comes in the form of plastic and chemical pollution. There are some major pathways that lead to plastic and chemical pollution ending up in the water. Direct input, when waste is dumped directly into the ocean, whether this waste is non-biodegradable material, oil spill or sewage disposal, most of which are hydrophobic. This means they might bind to the ocean floor and remain for centuries. Atmospheric deposition: a lot of chemicals are released into the air, known as volatile chemicals. When there are meteorological changes in air pressure, humidity or rain, some chemicals can be deposited onto the earth’s surface, including the sea. Indirect exposure: there are many different types of indirect chemical exposure. This can include pesticides and herbicides running off of land into the sea or runoff water from floods getting into the ocean. The amount of carbon dioxide in the ocean is increasing as the word releases more and more Co2 into the atmosphere, and the water absorbs 30% of the total, so the more the sea transport will rely on we burn petrol, the more carbon the ocean will absorb. This process of ocean acidification has many negative repercussions on marine life. Oceans are key to sustainability goals 2030 of the UN because the main objective of SDG 14 is to “conserve and sustainably use the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. As the World Economic Forum has stated, the oceans hold the key to solving many of the earth’s problems, from eradicating hunger and poverty, to fighting disease, creating jobs, ensuring peace, and combating the climate crisis.
The recording of the event will be broadcast on Diplochannel 2 on 25/10/2022 at 16:00.
