Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
12.5 What can be learned from the findings and
considerations in this topic?
The findings of research and observations, as well as modelled projections, confirm that the
world's ocean is under stress. Business as usual cannot continue. This applies, inter alia,
to climate change and its adverse effects, the excessive overloads of nutrients due to in-
creased pressure on coastal areas, land reclamation, habitat fragmentation, and overuse of
resources. Ocean acidification also deserves a special mention, in the light of the intercon-
nection with non-ocean governance processes, namely the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (IGBP, SCOR and IOC,
2013
). Our governance set-up does not seem ad-
equate to deal with the multiple and often conflicting uses of ocean areas and the resources
therein, nor do we apply systematically comprehensive valuation methods when assessing
the true value of the oceans for humankind.
The changes being experienced by the oceans are unprecedented, from the perspectives
of time and space scales, as exemplified by the fact that a new ocean is forming under our
own eyes in the Arctic area of our planet. Much uncertainty does exist in relation to the
resilience of the marine environment to human-induced impacts. At the same time, these
impacts are already visible and quantifiable and now have direct consequences for human
property, health, food security, and sustainability in general.
Understanding the complexity of ecosystems and their capacity to adapt and respond at
multiple spatial and temporal scales is a difficult endeavour, and human actions as well as
responses, in terms of governance and management, add another dimension of complexity,
as humans at multiple scales (from individuals to nations) also respond to change.
Thenecessitytotakeintoaccounttheinteractionsamongtheocean,theatmosphereand
the land, the ecosystems, and human society is evident, as human activities have clear and
measurable effects on the oceans, and as, without a healthy ocean, there will be no healthy
life on Earth. The ocean system must be treated as a whole, as stipulated in UNCLOS. Ap-
