The catalogue dedicated to the Ocean&Climate Village, the IOC/UNESCO travelling exhibition dedicated to the nexus between ocean and climate, is online.
Ocean&Climate Village is the first travelling, interactive and educational exhibition dedicated to the ocean and climate, developed by the Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, as part of the All4Climate initiative of Pre-COP26 and in the context of the United Nations Decade of Marine Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
The goal of Ocean&Climate Village
Ocean&Climate Village is an innovative tool to spread the principles of Ocean Education and promote a transformative change in the way society considers and experiences the ocean. At the center of this awareness-raising work are young people and different sectors of society, with the goal of raising an Ocean Generation that, by 2030, will have developed not only a full awareness of the importance of the ocean and adequate scientific knowledge, but will also be ready to become a protagonist of the change that the world needs.
The IOC-UNESCO team, together with volunteers from CNR-ISMAR and Ca’ Foscari University, guided the young and old visitors by explaining the contents of the exhibition and offering educational workshops.
The Ocean&Climate Village catalog
Like the physical experience of the Ocean&Climate Village, its catalog collects the works present in the exhibition through the stories of the illustrators who participated in the creation of the panels. But not only that, the catalog is full of testimonies of people who work all over the world for the preservation of the ocean, cultural and natural heritage and who dedicate their skills to the dissemination of knowledge and the creation of a collective awareness aimed at achieving the goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030.
The catalog is available in Italian and English in PDF and digital format.
The Ocean&Climate Village and its catalogue were conceived and developed by the IOC/UNESCO Ocean Education team, but many people contributed to its creation:
Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO
Peter Thomson, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Ocean
The catalog also includes the collection of illustrations present in the Ocean&Climate Village directly narrated by their illustrators: Maria Boragno, Clara Fois, Esteban Gottfried Burguett, Folco Soffietti, Yue Liu, Camilla Tomasetti, Chiara Cortese and Maia Lihuen Seri.
In the section dedicated to the Ocean Generation, the catalog collects the testimonies and projects of people who work every day with the sea, contributing to the formation of a generation aware of the importance of the ocean for our lives and the impact that our daily actions have on the ocean.
“Whose sea is it?” is a question we often ask ourselves and which just as often seems to have no answer. In reality, the Law of the Sea has been regulated since 1982 by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Let’s analyze together to better understand whether the sea belongs to everyone, no one or the State.
The Law of the Sea regulates the relationships between States regarding the uses of the sea. Due to the complexity, interdisciplinarity and evolution of the subject, the law of the sea is extremely dynamic and must be able to adapt to new challenges. For this reason, even today we can witness moments of negotiation to protect and regulate the use of marine resources. An example are the negotiations that are taking place in New York in August 2022 to adopt the Treaty of the High Seas.
Although we all have access to the sea, there is a division into different zones between complete freedom and complete sovereignty of the coastal State. Each zone is characterized by a limit defined based on nautical miles from the coast and is regulated by different obligations, laws and rules. As can be seen from the image below, the main zones are 5: Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone (CZ), Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), High Seas and Area.
Zonazione dello spazio marittimo
Camilla Tommasetti per IOC-UNESCO
Territorial Sea
A strip of sea adjacent to the coasts of the State. The maximum limit of extension is 12 miles, measured from a baseline.
Contiguous Zone
It extends for another 12 nautical miles beyond the territorial sea. Here the coastal State exercises its authority to prevent or repress infringements of its national legislation.
Exclusive Economic Zone
If declared and approved, it extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. It serves as a transition zone between complete sovereignty and complete freedom.
High Seas
Here the principle of freedom of the sea applies as long as the interests of other States are respected.
Area
The seabed beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone, called the Area, and the mineral resources present there are considered Common Heritage of Humanity.
The History of the Law of the Sea
The first attempt to regulate the sovereignty of the waters occurred in 1493 through an act present in the papal bull “Intercetera” by Pope Alexander VI. In 1942, Christopher Columbus discovered America, thinking that the best way to reach India was to sail south, at the latitude of the Canary Islands. To return to Europe instead, it is preferable to sail at the latitude of the Azores. Upon his return, the Pope drew a line joining the North Pole to the South Pole at a distance of about 100 leagues (about 482 kilometers) from the Azores. All the emerged lands located west of the line belonged to Spain.
Portugal was not happy with the donation. In fact, Portugal is also a Christian state and is good at navigation, for this reason it tried to negotiate the decision. In Tordesillas, Spain, the “Treaty of Tordesillas” was signed, which traced the Raya meridian at 370 leagues (about 1,786 kilometers) away from the Cape Verde Islands. Portugal and Spain agreed that all the lands west of the line belonged to Spain and those to the east to Portugal. This is why Portuguese is still spoken in Brazil today.
In 1529, with the Treaty of Saragossa, the States began to acclaim ownership of the marine area as well, excluding the possibility for other States to navigate and carry out activities in that stretch of ocean without having an authorization issued by Portugal or Spain.
Other States, such as the Netherlands, Great Britain and France were not willing to accept the division of the waters only between Spain and Portugal. For them, the Pope was not a political authority, and therefore did not have the power to donate land and water to any nation.
Is the sea free or not?
In 1609, Hugo Grotius, a Dutch philosopher, theologian, lawyer and politician, in defense of his State’s right to navigate and trade at sea, wrote the essay “Mare liberum”, opening a new debate on the freedom of the sea. According to Grotius, it is impossible for States to impose their sovereignty over water. Water is a free element and no one can be prevented from using it.
In the same year, in England, King James promoted the containment of fishing activity in the coastal waters of Great Britain. This law prohibited all foreigners from fishing along the coasts of the British Isles to avoid overfishing. The limit of the law was given by the fact that it was not clear how far English waters extended.
The first division of the sea
For the first time, States could have sovereignty only near the coast, in territorial waters, beyond this limit there is the High Seas which, even today, is free. But how was the limit of territorial waters established?
The Dutch writer Cornelis van Bynkershoek wrote a book “Dominio mari dissertation” in 1702 on the limit between coastal waters and the high seas. The writer theorized the “rule of cannon shot”, identifying the border in the maximum distance of a cannon shot. The problem is that the ability of a cannon shot to cover an ever greater distance increases over time, so the measure can change based on the technological development of the individual State.
The Italian writer Ferdinando Galliani wrote a book “Diritto del mare in tempo di guerra” according to which, to avoid discussions, a fixed distance should be established, identified as 3 nautical miles (about 5.5 kilometers) from the coast. This theory was later used by major maritime powers such as the United States and Great Britain..
The Evolution of the Law of the Sea in 1900
1900 was the turning point in the Law of the Sea. In this century, all traditional uses of the sea and marine resources were addressed and regulated with international codification rules. In the past, the laws of the sea were not written and codified, but unwritten rules were in force and therefore difficult to control.
In 1930, the League of Nations attempted for the first time to codify the Laws of the Sea, but was not completely successful. The second attempt was made by the United Nations in 1958 and 1960 with the Geneva Convention. Again, the legal framework developed was not completely successful, but the negotiation focused on some specific issues, for example the High Seas. Only in 1973 did the United Nations manage to find a way of working and negotiating that gave the opportunity to work globally on the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
What is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea?
In 1973, the United Nations finally succeeded in codifying the laws of the Law of the Sea through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Convention was adopted in 1982 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The Convention required a number of amendments, so it entered into force in 1994 after being approved by all participants. Negotiations must be reopened to change the final text.
The universality of the participants: the negotiations were open to all Member States of the United Nations, the Atomic Energy Agency, the International Code of Justice, intergovernmental organizations, national liberation movements and many other entities. It was a universal conference that guaranteed the legitimacy of the negotiation process.
The duration of the negotiation was very long: it took 10 years to complete the work (1982) and 16 years of work by States, observers and actors of the international community to produce the Final Convention (1994).
Adopt a convention that addresses all issues related to the sea. The Final Convention is a very comprehensive document, called the Constitution of the Ocean, whose geographical scope is enormous because the ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface.
How do you measure the coastline?
The baseline is the point where you start measuring the distance from the coast to establish the limit of the different zones. Article 5 of the Convention specifies the general rule for defining and drawing the baseline.
The baseline for measuring the vastness of the territorial sea is the low-water line along the coast, marked on all nautical charts officially recognized by the coastal State. But there are variations based on the geographical configuration of the coastline, historical or economic issues.
Some examples where exceptions to the general rule apply are:
where the coastline is deeply indented, incised and has a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity. In this case the baselines follow the outermost points of the coast. For example in countries such as Norway and Croatia.
historical bays. An example is the Gulf of Taranto, considered part of Italian territorial waters;
very indented river deltas, such as in Bangladesh and Myanmar;
polar waters. There are ice floes that break away from the coast and therefore the coastline can change;
archipelagic states (States composed of many islands).
From the baseline, the distance to all other areas defined by the Convention begins to be measured.
The first report was published as a pilot edition with contributions from over 100 experts in all major fields of marine science, including acidification, deoxygenation, pollution, tsunami early warning, marine spatial planning, data management and enabling infrastructure. Future editions will also invite contributions from other UN agencies, following the model of the State of the Climate Report, published regularly by the World Meteorological Organization.
The Report will help to efficiently monitor the progress of the Decade of the Ocean and, in time, may become a globally anticipated publication that will significantly contribute to mobilizing global society to take action towards “the ocean we need for the future we want”.
The Report concisely collects the latest knowledge on the state of the ocean – from pollution to biodiversity -. A tool that contains all the key information that policy makers and business leaders need to make informed decisions on marine protection and maritime spatial planning. To organize and make the information easily accessible, the publication follows the 10 challenges of the Decade of the Sea.
This pilot edition of the State of the Ocean Report was developed by IOC-UNESCO to demonstrate the feasibility of keeping the world updated on the current state of the ocean. It is intended to complement other assessments, such as the World Ocean Assessment and the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Some data taken from the report
Habitat loss is a global problem. There has been a rapid decline in coral reefs, seagrass beds and coastal wetlands. One factor is the changing proportions of individual nutrients reaching the ocean from rivers.
Alarmingly, the ocean is losing oxygen rapidly, at a rate estimated at 2% since 1960 and likely unprecedented in Earth’s recent history.
Changes in food web structure are often observed due to eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems, with changes in benthic community structure and a decline in zooplankton affecting commercial fish production.
The ocean floor is thought to be the destination of much of the plastic entering the ocean, but it is also the most poorly described region. An analysis found that approximately 30-40% of the objects detected at depth were macroplastics, and up to 90% of these, in waters deeper than 6,000 m, were single-use items.
Ocean acidification will continue to increase: the surface pH of the open ocean is projected to decrease by about 0.3 units by 2081-2100, compared to 2006-2015, based on RCP8.5 (IPCC, 2019). Despite the increasing number of observation stations to collect acidification data, current coverage is inadequate.
Climate warming has been linked to the movement of thousands of marine species from low to mid-latitudes, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the main extinction risk to marine biodiversity remains fishing, both directly and through bycatch and the impacts of trawling on seabed habitats.
Studies have shown that the rate of global mean sea level rise has accelerated from 2.1 mm/year in 1993-2002 to 4.7 mm/year in 2013-2021.
IOC-UNESCO, the body leading the new report, is the United Nations’ principal body for the promotion and international coordination of marine science. IOC-UNESCO’s mission is to improve the management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources globally. Housed within UNESCO, the Commission enables 150 Member States to work together in coordinating capacity-building programmes, ocean observations and services, ocean sciences and tsunami warning. IOC-UNESCO’s efforts ultimately aim to promote science-based solutions to key economic and social issues.
Pour la Journée de la Méditerranée, nous avons décidé de lui écrire une lettre : la “Lettre à la Méditerranée”. Une manière de renouveler notre engagement pour sa protection, de cultiver chaque jour notre connaissance de la mer, d’approfondir nos recherches océanographiques, et de raviver notre curiosité et notre attention à son égard.
Chère Méditerranée,
Tu es pour nous un foyer, une source de vie et de beauté. Mais nous ne t’aimons pas assez.
Chère Méditerranée,
De toutes les mers du monde, tu es la plus surexploitée. Même si la situation s’améliore, il reste encore beaucoup à faire pour préserver tes espèces et tes ressources.
C’est de notre faute, mais nous te le jurons : nous t’aimons profondément. C’est pourquoi nous venons toujours te rendre visite : tu es de loin la destination touristique préférée des voyageurs du monde entier.
Although it depends a lot on the model used, in general air conditioning has a large impact on the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, excess heat production and the release of pollutants into the environment. The main reason is the use of refrigerants, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in quantities approximately equal to double the emissions due to the consumption of electricity from fossil fuels. We assure you that you can spend the summer in the cool by limiting the use of air conditioning if you implement small measures.
Today, the use of air conditioners to stay cool represents almost 20% of the total electricity used in buildings around the world. According to the International Energy Agency, greenhouse gas emissions related to air conditioning will double between 2016 and 2050. In France, for example, the ADEME has estimated that air conditioning alone already represents 5% of emissions from the entire building sector. Today, in Italy, about 30 percent of the population owns an air conditioner, according to a study conducted by a group of researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and the German University of Mannheim and published in 2021, in 2050 it will be 50 percent.
Our attempts to cool ourselves actually contribute to making the planet increasingly warmer. While on the one hand it may be necessary to use air conditioning for vulnerable people and for specific conditions, on the other hand it is essential to start knowing and implementing six simple actions to take in the city, at home and in the office to spend the summer in the cool by limiting the use of air conditioning.
Thomas Layland da Unsplash
1. Create a shaded environment, limiting the entry of the sun
When the sun starts to shine through the window, try to limit the entry by using curtains, especially if the windows are oriented to the south and west. Some buildings still let light through, while effectively blocking direct exposure to the sun. For example, when you leave the house in the morning, remember to pull down the blinds a little or close the windows when the outside temperature is higher than the inside temperature. These small actions will allow you to maintain a cool environment.
2. Surround yourself with plants
Surrounding yourself with plants helps to cool the atmosphere of the room or to isolate the house from the outside environment. Plants also help to increase the humidity of the room.
Patrick Perkins da Unsplash
3. Let the air circulate at night
When the day is coming to an end and the air is getting cooler, open all the windows to let the air circulate as much as possible in the interior spaces of the house. Cooling the environment during the night is one of the best methods to spend the summer days in the cool.
4. Get help from humidity
Putting buckets of water in the room, blocking the window with wet sheets, or adding other damp objects can cool the atmosphere around you.
Sun Studio Creative da Unsplash
5. Dress right: loose clothing and natural fabrics
Choosing the right clothing when it’s hot is essential to stay cool in the summer. Loose clothing, made of natural fabrics and in light colors are the best options to choose to protect yourself from the heat: linen, organic cotton and hemp help the skin breathe and regulate body temperature. Don’t forget to wear a hat and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun’s rays if you go outside.
6. Stay hydrated and eat the right foods
Food also plays an important role in helping us. Drinking enough water is essential to avoid heat stress and reduce the likelihood of being subject to heat stroke. In addition, the food we eat has a more or less positive impact on body heating. Favouring fresh meals, rich in fruit and vegetables, mineral salts and vitamins is a step forward to help our body regulate itself during the hottest seasons. Avoiding eating animal proteins and highly caloric meals is a good start.
Sahand Babali da Unsplash
7. Stay in touch with nature
During your free time and lunch breaks, try to stay outdoors, preferring tree-lined and shaded areas. On the weekend, try to get out of the city by going on bike rides, walking in the mountains or along a river, swimming in the sea and exploring the natural parks and protected areas of the area. What better place to spend the summer in the cool if not being surrounded by nature?
Madison Nickel da Unsplash
8. If you really have to use the air conditioning…
Finally, if you really have to use the air conditioning, remember to:
Choose your system wisely, as the ecological footprint varies greatly from one model to another.
Moderate its use. For example, setting the temperature to 27°C instead of 22 can halve the energy consumption of the appliance.
The second United Nations Ocean Conference (UN Ocean Conference) 2022, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, will be held from 27 June to 1 July 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. But what is this conference and why is it important?
The United Nations Ocean Conference is the conference dedicated to Sustainable Development Goal 14 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. This global conference was created to mobilize actions for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of the ocean, seas and marine resources.
Why an entire conference dedicated to the ocean and maritime issues?
The ocean connects us all around the world. Its ecosystems, biodiversity of flora and fauna species, its abundance of resources and its energy are vital to the Earth. The health of the ocean is essential for the well-being of humanity and the entire planet, but human activity has deteriorated the ocean, even endangering our very existence.
Despite this, humans have mistreated the life-rich ocean to the point that approximately 40% of marine ecosystems have been damaged. For too long, it was believed that the ocean was infinite and unaffected by human activities. Scientists began to raise concerns about the health of the environment and the ocean as early as the 1970s, but only recently have these issues gained adequate political and media relevance.
Vincent Kneefel – Ocean Image Bank
The future effects on the planet’s ecosystem are not yet fully known, but the consequences for humanity are not positive. We are already starting to see and live with these consequences. Extreme weather events affect millions of people around the world, such as heat waves, droughts, heavy rains and floods. In every ocean basin, giant vortices of waste are circulating, accumulating on the ocean surface, in the water column and even in the deepest depths of the planet. Dead zones, hypoxic – with little or no oxygen – are expanding along our coasts and toxic algal and slime blooms are choking marine and coastal environments. Coral reefs, which support the life of many forms of coral, are bleaching, becoming lifeless graveyards.
This has led to habitat destruction and the loss of marine biodiversity. If this trend continues, marine life in general will be seriously threatened. All of these problems arise from human activities. It is therefore up to man to find solutions and implement concrete actions.
United Nations Ocean Conference – Lisbon 2022
This year’s United Nations Ocean Conference will be held in Lisbon from 27 June to 1 July, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal. The Conference comes at a critical time when the world is trying to address many of the deep-rooted problems in our societies, laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will require major structural transformations and common, shared solutions, anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals. To mobilize action, the Conference will seek to promote the necessary innovative, science-based solutions to open a new chapter in global ocean action.
Kindel Media from Pexels
It is worth mentioning the growing interest and importance of the field of Ocean Literacy in recent years. It has become clear that people care about what they love and love what they know: Ocean Literacy aims to promote and strengthen the emotional connection between the ocean and society, strengthening global efforts to protect the ocean and promoting behaviors that respect the ocean itself.
During the Conference, IOC-UNESCO organizes important events that provide the opportunity to unlock the knowledge needed to achieve the goal for the ocean we want.
The targets of SDG14 specifically highlight the need to work and improve in the following areas: marine pollution, conservation through marine protected areas, ocean acidification, regulation of fishing practices and increased research to advance scientific knowledge and awareness.
The First United Nations Ocean Conference – New York 2017
The First United Nations Ocean Conference was held in June 2017 at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, and was co-hosted by the Governments of Fiji and Sweden. It brought together heads of state and government, civil society representatives, business leaders, stakeholders, academics, scientists and advocates for the ocean and marine life from over 150 countries.
This Conference was a decisive step in preparing for the start of the United Nations Decade of Marine Science for Sustainable Development. In particular, it promoted progress in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, a key part of the 2030 Agenda.
This first conference was a turning point in reversing the decline in ocean health, aiming for greater involvement of society, private companies, policy makers and stakeholders at large. Coordinated and effective action by new concrete partnerships has been – and still is – the key element to support SDG14 and to propose tangible solutions. The exchange of knowledge and expertise between different parties is an essential step towards sustainable development and the active restoration of our marine ecosystems.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, declared that decisive and coordinated global actions could solve the problems arising from human activity, appointing the Ambassador of Fiji, Peter Thomson, as Special Envoy for the Ocean. Peter Thomson underlined the importance of the conference: “If we want a secure future for species on this planet – including humans – we must act now on ocean health and climate change”.
The main elements pursued to restore the ocean were defined, aiming for a healthy, clean, resilient, predictable, safe and engaging ocean.
This first edition of the United Nations Ocean Conference was the first substantial step and the first call to action to get the science we need for the ocean we want.
Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) is the only globally agreed roadmap for the conservation and sustainable management of marine resources. Its faithful implementation is therefore our best hope to remedy the challenges of the ocean. SDG 14 is a call to action for citizens and governments across the globe. Experts agree that the ten targets it has identified can restore balance to the relationship between the ocean and humans.
“Life below water” is a key area of the United Nations Agenda 2030 sustainability goals on a global scale. Civil stakeholders across the globe are coming together to find new ways to mobilize action for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of the ocean.
All the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are closely linked to each other, as Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated during the opening of the second United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon (2022):
Our failure to care for the ocean will have ripple effects on the entire 2030 Agenda
Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
The impact of SDG 14 is not only limited to life under water and the marine environment, but also influences the proper functioning of social, cultural and economic issues and thus maintain the integrity of the entire spectrum of human lives and cultures. This is why it is essential to implement concrete actions to achieve the goals of SDG 14.
Why a goal entirely dedicated to the ocean?
We have often spoken about the importance of the ocean in regulating natural cycles. However, it is never enough to remember the wonders and challenges that the ocean faces today.
In 2015, the UN Member States formulated the 2030 Agenda, consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which touch all areas of daily life. It is unthinkable to lead a concrete change for a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature without considering the ocean.
Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) addresses the ocean’s key challenges and suggests tangible ways to address them.
Since the advent of modern civilization, the ocean has been treated as an unregulated space. Unprecedented overfishing and the use of destructive methods, such as those used by bottom trawlers, have amplified stress on marine organisms and caused species decline.
Increased greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in global warming, are leading to unprecedented increases in ocean temperature and acidification.
Additionally, the influx of plant nutrients, mainly due to outdated industrial agricultural production practices, has fueled the eutrophication of marine ecosystems.
Each stressor, depending on its intensity and duration, can have many negative effects on marine life. However, stressors rarely occur in isolation. Marine life, in any part of the ocean, experiences a unique combination of stressors on a daily basis. These factors act in synergy, which is why they are called multiple stresses.
These negative impacts on the marine environment have caused serious social and economic problems at a global level. This is why collective and immediate action is required to find innovative solutions and help achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Possiamo avere un ruolo, come società, per invertire la rotta
The key forum for amplifying and updating the goals of SDG 14 are the United Nations Ocean Conferences. The first conference took place in New York in 2017, and has emerged as a vital connection point between heads of state and government, civil society representatives, business leaders and entrepreneurs, academics, scientists, youth and advocates for the ocean and marine life. In 2017, the dialogue focused on learning about many of the challenges and issues related to our relationship with the ocean, for example plastic pollution. To step up action on common and shared solutions, anchored in the 2030 Agenda, global and transdisciplinary cooperation is needed. To mobilize the action the ocean needs, the Conferences seek to promote research into innovative, science-based solutions and launch a new chapter in global ocean action.
The Ten Targets of Sustainable Development Goal 14
Scientists, activists and policy makers have been thinking about how to achieve the goals formulated in SDG14. They have developed ten targets and ten indicators that highlight the need to work and improve in the following areas: marine pollution, conservation through the establishment of Marine Protected Areas, ocean acidification, regulation of fishing practices and increased research to promote scientific knowledge and awareness, which would allow life to continue to thrive above and below water.
As mentioned, the targets and indicators are cyclically evaluated and discussed during international meetings. All the details related to SDG14 are available on the dedicated international website.
Target 14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce all forms of marine pollution, especially from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
Target 14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action to restore them to achieve a healthy and productive ocean.
Target 14.3 Minimize and address the effects of ocean basin acidification, including through enhanced scientific collaboration at all levels.
Target 14.4 By 2020, effectively regulate fisheries and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices. Implement science-based management plans to restore fish stocks as quickly as possible, at least to levels that produce the maximum sustainable yield, as determined by their biological characteristics.
Target 14.5 By 2020, conserve at least 10% – the global target for 2030 is now 30% – of coastal and marine areas, in accordance with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.
Target 14.6 By 2020, prohibit those forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from reintroducing such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of World Trade Organization fisheries subsidy negotiations.
Target 14.7 By 2030, increase the economic benefits of small island developing States and least developed countries through more sustainable use of marine resources, including sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.
Target 14.A Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer of marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission criteria and guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, with the aim of improving the health of the ocean and increasing the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of emerging countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries.
Target 14.B Provide access to marine resources and markets for small-scale artisanal fishers.
Target 14.C Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources by implementing international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources, as referred to in paragraph 158 of “The Future We Want”.
A sustainable ocean in the interest of humanity
The achievement of the goals of SDG14 is a key factor in achieving all the other Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the ocean is the heart of our planet, the ocean is important for life on Earth, including that of humans. Its balance and health are essential for the survival and prosperity of all life forms, human and otherwise. More than two-thirds of the Earth is covered in water, which is why we should call it the Blue Planet. The ocean, which contains 97% of all the water on the planet, is divided into five main basins: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern. In reality, however, it is one huge body of water, also called the “global ocean” that connects the entire world.
This incredible body of water not only provides us with food, work, life and entertainment, but also functions as a life support system for the planet, and it is essential to understand the complexity of its role in our lives.
Matt Hardy from Pexels
Why is the ocean important?
Here is some information about the role of the ocean in our lives. These facts may surprise you, but they will certainly convince you of the importance of developing a sustainable relationship with our Blue Planet.
The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth, containing 99% of the planet’s habitable space.
The ocean covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface and contains more than 97% of the Earth’s water.
Phytoplankton, a microalgae that lives on the surface of the ocean, produce about 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe through photosynthesis.
The ocean stores carbon: it absorbs huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂), one of the greenhouse gases primarily responsible for climate change.
The ocean regulates climate on a global scale by moving heat around the planet. Warm currents move from the poles toward the equator and back after cooling, influencing Earth’s weather patterns.
The ocean provides millions of jobs, goods and services to people around the world. Safeguarding marine ecosystems is therefore of the utmost importance if we are to protect our planet from climate change, safeguard our health and that of all life on Earth.
Human Activities Related to the Ocean
Humans have been exploring and using the ocean’s resources since the beginning of time. Let’s take a look at the main activities we do with the ocean and that are considered part of the “Blue Economy”, which is all the industrial activities based on the ocean.
Adrien Sala – Unsplash
Food
The sea accounts for about 17% of global edible meat production. It is an important source of food for people around the world and, as we know, global demand for food is increasing. Food from the sea contains bioavailable proteins, essential fatty acids and micronutrients, which are particularly important in low-income and food-deficit countries.
Ocean food can be produced by wild fisheries or mariculture. However, the impact of fishing can be devastating to the health of the ocean and new policies are needed to safeguard marine ecosystems.
Pexels
Energy
Did you know that marine energy resources, such as waves, tides, currents, and salinity and temperature gradients, can be used to produce renewable energy?
In recent decades, research has led to huge advances in the technologies needed to develop marine energy: the ocean and its waters could be the key to developing a more sustainable future.
William William from Unsplash
Transport
Nearly 90% of global trade currently takes place using maritime routes: the ocean contains all the major trade routes on the planet.
The maritime transport sector is a source of jobs for millions of people and is part of a whole cluster of economic activities that create great economic value from the ocean.
Jeremy Bishop from Pexels
Recreation
We all know that a beach vacation is always better! Tourism, recreation, and entertainment are another big part of the economy that is tied to the ocean and coastal waters. It is of utmost importance that we develop sustainable practices in this sector so that we can continue to enjoy the sea and its wonders. By doing so, we will also support the islands, coastal communities, and their inhabitants.
Hal Gatewood-Unsplash
New Mining
In recent years, the ocean has been further explored, new industries have been established and have flourished. These include the extraction of components for medicinal purposes, the cultivation of algae for food and fuel, and the extraction of new raw materials.
Threats facing the ocean
As the needs of people and the economy grow, so does the impact that humans have on the ocean. It is essential, at this time, to rethink our relationship with the ocean and work towards a more sustainable approach.
The main threat we face is ocean pollution, and as you might imagine, most of it comes from human activities, both along the coast and inland. Here are some of the main causes of marine pollution.
Gije Cho – Pexels
Nonpoint Source Pollution – Runoff
NPS pollution is the result of land runoff, precipitation, and atmospheric deposition. As rain or snowfall moves through the ground, the pollutants picked up and transported are eventually deposited in lakes and rivers, and then carried to the ocean.
Non-point source pollution may include:
Excess fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides
Oil and toxic chemicals from automobiles
Sediments from poorly managed construction sites
Soil and mineral deposits from irrigation and abandoned mines
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock and faulty septic systems
How to prevent non-point source pollution? We can all do something in our daily lives to prevent pollution. Here is a basic list of what you can do:
Keep waste out of gutters and street drains: Waste often flows directly into lakes, rivers, and wetlands through these.
Use natural garden products.
Dispose of used oil and other chemicals properly (i.e., not down drains or sewers).
Make sure your septic system is working properly with routine inspections.
Use low-phosphorus household products.
Direct or Intentional Dumping
Intentional dumping is caused by people deciding that the best place to dump toxic chemicals and debris is into our waterways.
Direct dumping includes:
Toxic waste from industrial plants
Sewage materials passed directly into the ocean
Deliberate discharges from tankers and vessels that do not comply with regulations
Waste thrown into the water, most of which is plastic
Oil or Chemical Spills
Oil and chemical spills are called point sources of pollution because they come from a single source. Spills resulting from damaged or faulty structures are also considered a type of point source pollution.
These events are typically caused by accidents and can have a very destructive impact on the surrounding environment. Fortunately, they do not happen very often and are usually addressed promptly.
However, as we all know, crude oil is very difficult to clean up and has devastating long-term effects on marine ecosystems.
Oil spills are not the only way ships pollute the sea: they also dump plastic debris, human waste, and large amounts of fuel into the water. Not to mention the noise pollution they produce, which disrupts the balance of marine life.
Dustan Woodhouse from Unsplash
Littering
Ocean and waterway litter is a byproduct of littering in general, even if far from land, and not just the result of debris being dumped directly into the sea: sewage systems carry inland waste into the ocean. Marine debris comes from humans, both from land and ocean sources.
Common examples of marine debris include plastic items, such as shopping bags and bottles, plastic wrap, and fishing gear.
It is well known that littering and marine pollution cause the formation of high-concentration areas of litter that are located at the center of ocean gyres.Gyres are rotating ocean currents; there are five of them: one in the Indian Ocean, two in the Pacific, and two in the Atlantic Ocean.
How to Prevent Litter Pollution: To solve the problem of marine debris, especially plastic waste, we need to change society’s approach to plastic use and disposal.
Ocean and Deep Sea Mining
Deep sea mining involves drilling into the ocean floor to extract materials such as gold, lithium, cobalt, copper, and zinc.
This activity is devastating to the balance of the deepest levels of the sea, much of which is still unexplored. Not only does it destroy habitats and ecosystems, but it also leads to the creation of sulfide deposits, the damaging environmental impact of which is not yet well understood.
Some scientists warn that in order to extract valuable minerals, we could destroy entire ecosystems and wipe out entire species that we have not yet discovered.
Is it really worth it?
Coral reef in Sombrero Island, Philippines
Jett Britnell – Ocean Image Bank
How to Balance Economics and Conservation
Let’s look at some strategies we can implement, both in our daily lives and on a larger scale, to balance our use of the ocean and the preservation of its ecosystems and health.
Reducing marine pollution
One of the most important things we can do is to prevent waste and plastic from entering the ocean. On an individual level, we should all try to reduce our consumption, especially of single-use plastic items, as well as support and incentivize the production and use of viable and sustainable alternatives.
Here are some other changes we can work towards as a society:
Eliminate coal burning, which will reduce mercury pollution;
Shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy;
Ban single-use plastics, such as straws and plastic bags;
Better control the production of coastal pollution;
Expand marine protected areas to safeguard critical ecosystems.
Managing food production sustainably
The world population is increasing and so is food production. However, we must do our best to create sustainable growth in this sector. For example, we can work towards implementing global ocean governance and more transparent supply chains, which in turn would strengthen opportunities for local communities and coastal cities.
This would involve, for example, increasing monitoring, control and surveillance to avoid illegal and unregulated fishing, an activity that has disastrous effects on ocean ecosystems.
It is also essential to avoid harmful fishing practices and overfishing, as well as implementing policies that minimize the environmental impact of aquaculture.
Mitigating Climate Change
As we have explained, climate change and the ocean are inextricably linked. To avoid exacerbating the global warming crisis, we need to address how we treat our ocean. The focus in the coming years will be on:
Decarbonising shipping
Shipping is responsible for around 30% of global NOx emissions, which have been linked to thousands of serious and premature deaths in coastal areas.
It is therefore essential that we work to reduce emissions from shipping.
Developing clean, ocean-based energy
The ocean-based renewable energy revolution has already begun: all we need to do now is increase investment to enable the adoption of new technologies. Of course, we can only harness the power of the ocean while keeping a careful eye on minimising the impact on marine ecosystems.
Promoting sustainable tourism
Achieving sustainable marine and coastal tourism that can withstand and overcome future crises is possible, but requires significant public and private investments. For example, promoting nature-based solutions, reinvesting tourism revenues in local communities and sustainability projects, and encouraging transparency in all activities.
Avoiding Biodiversity Loss and Protecting Coastal Waters
Another way to promote green development is to support the protection and conservation of coastal waters and marine ecosystems.
For example, by creating and supporting marine protected areas and developing nature-based infrastructure that can help local communities manage marine activities sustainably.
It is definitely not too late! Together, we can work towards creating a sustainable and holistic Blue Economy.
Due to cultural, geographical and historical factors, we have “divided” the ocean into five ocean basins known as the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern Oceans. In this article, we will focus on the largest ocean basin on the planet, the Pacific Ocean, and discover all its details and characteristics.
The Earth has one large ocean that connects the entire world and contains more than 97% of the total amount of water on the planet. The ocean is also the largest ecosystem on Earth, representing 99% of the entire biosphere, thus hosting a large number of species. This huge body of water is also known as the Global Ocean.
What is the largest ocean basin?
The largest ocean basin is the Pacific Ocean. Occupying nearly 32% of the Earth’s surface, the Pacific covers 165,250,000 square kilometers (63,800,000 sq. mi), and about 46% of the Earth’s water surface.
It extends from the western coasts of North, Central, and South America to Oceania, Asia, and Russia in the north, and contains about 30,000 islands divided between the regions of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. The Pacific also connects to the Indian Ocean basin near the Strait of Malacca, Sumatra, and to the Atlantic through the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Passage. Its maximum latitudinal extent reaches 19,000 km (12,000 mi) between the coast of Colombia and the Malay Peninsula.
The Pacific Ocean basin has twice the surface area and more than twice the volume of water as the second largest Atlantic. Interestingly, the area covered by the Pacific exceeds that of all the continents combined.
Pacific Ocean Basin, Esteban Gottfried for IOC-UNESCO
Where does the name “Pacific Ocean” come from?
Its name comes from the fact that the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, during his voyage to the Philippines, found the ocean quite calm, therefore “peaceful”.
How deep is the Pacific Ocean?
Il punto più profondo del bacino dell’Oceano Pacifico è conosciuto come Challenger Deep e si trova nella Fossa delle Marianne, ad una profondità di 11.034 m (36.201 piedi). È il punto più profondo registrato nel mondo, situato a est delle Filippine. È così profondo che il monte Everest entrerebbe nel Challenger Deep con oltre un miglio di margine!
The deepest point in the Pacific Ocean basin is known as the Challenger Deepand is located in the Mariana Trench, at a depth of 11,034 m (36,201 ft). It is the deepest recorded point in the world, located east of the Philippines. It is so deep that Mount Everest would fit into the Challenger Deep by over a mile!
Division between North Pacific and South Pacific, Esteban Gottfried for IOC-UNESCO
How many “Pacific Oceans” are there?
The answer is one, but ocean circulation (caused by the Coriolis effect) divides it into two independent volumes of water that meet at the equator: the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean. The Galápagos and Gilbert Islands, despite straddling the equator, are considered entirely within the South Pacific.
The North Pacific is the part of the Pacific Ocean basin that lies north of the equator. It extends from the eastern coasts of Asia to the western coasts of North and South America (to the Equator) and extends north to the Arctic region.
The South Pacific lies south of the Equator, covers a significant portion of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and plays an important role in the global climate system. In fact, the tropical Pacific Ocean functions as a self-regulating system of accumulation and release of heat, redistributing it towards the poles. Because it is a relatively stationary process, when the Pacific is overloaded with heat, it causes sudden warming episodes that increase the risk of extreme weather events.
Temperature
The ocean is stratified, and one of the main factors in this stratification is temperature: the deep waters, which make up about 80% of the ocean’s volume, are very cold, with temperatures remaining just above freezing, usually around 3.5 °C (38.3 °F). In the shallow zone, however, temperatures vary greatly down to a depth of about 300 metres (1,000 ft).
Typically, water temperatures in the North Pacific are slightly warmer than in the South Pacific. This is due to the lower land-to-sea ratio in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere, and the influence of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
Salinity
Given the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, its physical characteristics such as salinity are highly variable in both the western and eastern Pacific, due to seasonal changes in surface currents. In general, the Pacific Ocean has a slightly lower salinity than the Atlantic Ocean, due to the presence of atmospheric precipitation. In the tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific, in fact, precipitation is more intense and is associated with the monsoons of the region. Due to this phenomenon, salinity is generally lower in the equatorial area. Salinity, together with temperature, is also a fundamental component in ensuring the exchange of oxygen and nutrients between surface waters and deeper waters.
The combination of salinity and temperature generate deep thermohaline currents which, together with the surface currents generated by the wind, give rise to the Great Global Conveyor Belt, a constant movement in the ocean around the globe. Cold, salty water forms at the poles and, due to its high density, sinks, while warm water that forms in the tropics, near the equator, is less dense and stays on the surface.
This movement is important for the entire planet, as it regulates the climate around the world and is also essential for the transport of oxygen and nutrients for marine and coastal ecosystems.
Climate
The weather patterns of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres generally mirror each other, but in the Pacific Ocean this is not the case.
In the North Pacific in particular, there are notable differences between the eastern and western regions at the same latitude: the extreme temperatures that characterize winters off the eastern coast of Russia, for example, contrast with the milder winters of British Columbia.
The tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific Ocean are periodically affected by weather oscillations, lasting about three months, known as the El Niño and La Niña Southern Oscillations. Both El Niño and La Niña are periodic weather patterns that cause, respectively, the surface ocean waters of the southeast Hawaiian region to warm and cool: if it is more than 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) above or below normal for that period, then El Niño or La Niña is considered to be in progress.
The Pacific Ocean includes other weather phenomena, known as tropical cyclones. Among these, we recognize the Pacific hurricanes that normally originate in southern Mexico, sometimes, hitting the Mexican coast and sometimes the United States mainly between June and October. Typhoons that form in the Pacific Northwest affect Southeast Asia from May to December. While the Pacific Islands are occasionally subject to tropical cyclones that form in the southern basin.
Tom Vierus, Ocean Image Bank
Biodiversità
Of all the ocean basins, the Pacific boasts the greatest marine biodiversity. Currents that connect the southern and northern polar waters of the Pacific allow life from different ocean regions to come into contact with each other.
One of the main features of this diversity is the kelp forests, which are found on the cold-water rocky coasts of North and South America. These forest-like environments have almost as diverse an animal biodiversity as rainforests: they are home to a wide variety of marine life, from invertebrates to fish, mammals and seabirds.
In the tropical areas of the western Pacific, the richness of marine biodiversity increases exponentially. Here we can find the richest and most extensive coral reefs on the planet. The coral reefs of the South Pacific are low-lying structures that have developed on basaltic volcanic structures located beneath the surface of the ocean.
One of the most impressive coral reefs is the Great Barrier Reef off north-eastern Australia, which is made up of several chains of coral reefs.
Whales, sea turtles, dolphins, killer whales, otters and sea lions are an important and spectacular part of Pacific life.
Ring of Fire, Esteban Gottfried for IOC-UNESCO
Geology
Research has shown that all major features of the Pacific Ocean floor and the lands surrounding it have their origins in plate tectonics.
The “Ring of Fire”, a well-known feature of the Pacific, is the area where most of the world’s active volcanoes are located, most of which are underwater. The Ring of Fire is an arc of volcanic islands and deep trenches located in the western Pacific, in the area where two tectonic plates collide (convergent zone), sliding under each other. Due to this phenomenon, the Pacific Ocean basin is currently shrinking by about 2.5 cm (1 in) per year on three sides, averaging about 0.52 square kilometers (0.20 sq mi) per year. In contrast, the Atlantic Ocean is increasing in size.
On the opposite side, the East Pacific Rise is an active zone where new crust is being generated. In the southeast Pacific, the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate collide to form the Andes, and just offshore is the Peru-Chile Trench.
Because tectonic plates move so rapidly, earthquakes occur all along the Ring of Fire. It is no surprise that the strongest earthquakes ever recorded have occurred here.
The 1960 earthquake near Valdivia, Chile, was the most powerful in recorded history, registering a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale.
Mineral resources
The Pacific Ocean contains interesting mineral resources, of which only a few have been exploited, such as salt, bromine and magnesium. There are also known natural gas deposits on the continental shelf of both the northern and southern hemispheres, while oil reserves have already been explored near Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, California, Russia and China. Minerals can be extracted directly from seawater, from alluvial deposits or from the continental shelf.
Pacific Ocean Vortices, Esteban Gottfried for IOC-UNESCO
What challenges is the Pacific Ocean facing today?
One of the main problems, as is now clear, is marine pollution, mainly from solid waste such as plastic and other debris. In the Pacific, we find the largest garbage vortex, or plastic soup, also known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch“: it is a huge accumulation area of waste, including plastic, which is located in the center of the two circular currents (gyres) of the North and South Pacific.
Pollution is mainly caused by poor waste management (littering), shipping, mining and drilling, oil spills and ocean dumping – the direct discharge of pollutants into the ocean from industries, ships or sewage treatment plants.
Other serious threats to the balance of the Pacific Ocean are overfishing and illegal fishing practices, which destroy marine ecosystems and leave behind an incredible amount of harmful debris.
Coral reef in Sombrero Island, Philippines
Jett Britnell – Ocean Image Bank
