See full version: World Oceans Day: Let’s protect the largest ecosystem of our planet
Thanks to its Climate & Biodiversity Initiative, 5 of the 18 research projects supported since 2010 have led to a better understanding of the complex mechanisms of acidification and uptake of atmospheric carbon in the ocean, as well as the impacts on wildlife and marine flora (ajouter lien vers une vidéo d’un des projets).
Marine ecosystems are now among the most endangered on our planet. Pollution, overfishing, the introduction of invasive aquatic species and the destruction of coastal habitats bear the main responsibility for this, resulting directly from human activities. World Oceans Day, held this year on 8 June, aims to raise awareness of the crucial role that oceans play in our daily lives, as well as the various existing solutions for protecting them.
The World Ocean is the largest existing ecosystem on our planet. Covering over 71% of the Earth’s surface, it’s a source of livelihood for over 3 billion people. The ocean also works as the main “lung” of our planet, releasing more oxygen into the atmosphere, notably through marine plants, than all the forests in the world, and absorbing 30% of the carbon dioxide produced by humans!
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Moreover, on the basis of the fact that coral reefs, which are essential to the equilibrium of marine ecosystems, are facing unprecedented threats, the BNP Paribas Foundation has decided to become more involved in their preservation. In 2018, as part of the International Year of Coral Reefs, the BNP Paribas Foundation and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) developed the Corals Matter initiative in collaboration with various partners, consisting of an awareness toolkit, along with a website and interactive panel, explaining the challenges facing coral reefs and marine biodiversity today. [links]
As the largest and deepest sea on Earth, the Pacific supports some of the world’s biggest fisheries. For thousands of years, people have relied on these fisheries for their food and livelihoods. more
Oceans produce most of the oxygen we breathe. They regulate the weather, provide food, and give an income to millions of people. They are places of fun and recreation, solace and spiritual connection. So, healthy, vibrant oceans benefit us all. And by better understanding the threats to the precious Pacific, we can start the long road to protecting it.
Locations of the five subtropical garbage patches.
van der Mheen et al. (2019)
Ocean acidification is also a problem for the fishes. Many studies have revealed elevated CO₂ can disrupt their sense of smell, vision and hearing. It can also impair survival traits, such as a fish’s ability to learn, avoid predators, and select suitable habitat.
After joining the UK’s Blue Belt Programme, it will become the largest no-take zone in the Atlantic and the fourth largest on the planet. This means fishing, mining and any such activities will not be allowed. [links]
What does the announcement mean for the island group? [links]
The mountainous archipelago Tristan da Cunha is home to tens of millions of seabirds and several unique land birds that are comparable to the Galapagos island finches, as per the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which has been working with the local community and government of Tristan da Cunha. more
What is Tristan da Cunha?
As per the National Geographic Society’s Campaign for Nature Initiative, over 30 percent of the world’s oceans need to be protected to allow ecosystems to provide benefits like ample fish stocks.
The almost 700,000 square kilometres of the Marine Protection Zone (MPZ) is almost three times the size of the UK and will safeguard the future of sevengill sharks, yellow-nosed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. Further, this development is also supported by the Blue Belt Programme, which provides over 27 million pounds over a period of five years for marine conservation around the UK Overseas Territories and international organisations. MPZs involve the management of certain natural areas for biodiversity conservation or species protection and are created by delineating zones with permitted and non-permitted areas within that zone.
The Caribbean Sea has an area of about 2,754,000 square km and it makes this sea one of the largest seas. The salinity of seawater is about 3.6%. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world’s coral reefs covering about 50,000 square km. Most of those coral reefs are located in the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast. here
The Pacific Ocean constitutes approximately 46% of the earth and covers more than a third of the total surface area. It enlarges to about 162,200,000 square kilometers and it also has the longest shoreline that totals to about 135,663 kilometers. This makes the Pacific Ocean larger than the landmass area on the earth’s surface combined.
The bottom list belongs to the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean that is largely surrounded by the North American continent.
Being in the fourth position, the Antarctic Ocean has the greatest depth of 7,236 m, occurs at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench. The Antarctic Ocean covers an area of about 20,327,000 square kilometers. more
The Mediterranean Sea takes the seventh position with the deepest recorded point of 5,267 m in the Calypso Deep. The Mediterranean Sea is an inland sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean. [links]