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On June eighth, the United Nations celebrates World Oceans Day, designed to draw attention to the need to protect the oceans. Paradoxically, humanity, whose survival depends entirely on the well-being of ocean ecosystems, is today the main and worst enemy of the ocean, mindlessly destroying its resources. Man and the ocean have lived in peace for many millennia. The lack of technology did not allow people to plunder marine wealth on a current, industrial scale, and there was very little known about what lies under the water column.

The history of the study of the World Ocean

The outlines of oceans, continents, archipelagos and individual islands were first studied in the era of Great Geographical Discoveries (XV–XVIII centuries). The circumnavigation of the world by Fernand Magellan and the expedition of James Cook allowed Europeans to get an idea of the gigantic expanses of water surrounding the continents. At the same time, the first reliable maps of the world were created. However, the depths of the ocean remained extremely poorly studied – until the 19th century, the idea of how far from the surface the bottom of the world's oceans was very vague. Intensive study of the ocean depths began in the second half of the 20th century. But even today, only 20 percent of the World Ocean floor is mapped. UNESCO promises that by 2030 this figure will be increased to 80 percent.

Oceanomics

The world ocean covers more than 70 percent of the territory of our planet. It produces about half of all oxygen, and it contains most of the Earth's biodiversity. Water resources are the main source of protein for more than a billion people on the planet. The oceans play a key role in the global economy. It is estimated that 40 million people will be employed in ocean-related industries by 2030. The ocean economy generates more than $1.5 trillion annually. In the next 25 years, two billion more people will appear in the world, which will increase the burden on existing food supplies on land and in the ocean. Marine food is one of the main sources of food on Earth: every year we use more than 180 million tons of fish and about 36 million tons of algae. The fishing and aquaculture sector continues to develop rapidly.

Carbon and plastic

The ocean absorbs huge amounts of carbon, which is projected to increase its acidification by more than 100 percent by the end of the century. Adaptation and mitigation of the consequences of this process require active actions at the international and national levels. Eutrophication – the excess of nutrients in the ocean – also continues to increase. There is a need for a more accurate quantification of the dominant sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in all large marine ecosystems in order to develop a strategy to reduce them. Since the 1990s, the amount of plastic in the ocean has increased significantly. The volume of plastic waste is growing at an increasingly rapid pace. Global mechanisms for tracking the extent and geography of nutrient and plastic pollution distribution in the oceans are needed to support climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Finding a balance

Right now, the ocean is in dire need of human support. 90 percent of the large fish populations are depleted, half of all coral reefs are destroyed – we take more from the ocean than it can replenish. Coastal regions, home to 40 percent of the world's population, and 12 of the world's 15 largest cities are now facing new challenges. Areas with extensive access to water, picturesque landscapes and significant economic potential are under pressure from intense human activity and a triple planetary crisis – pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change, as a result of which only 15 percent of coastlines have been preserved in their natural state. Nowadays, it is quite obvious that humanity must work together to develop a new approach to maintaining balance in its relationship with the ocean. Ocean ecosystems are crucial to achieving the United Nations Global Framework on Biodiversity and all Sustainable Development Goals. The ocean absorbs more than 90 percent of excess heat and 30 percent of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. "To reach new depths" The theme of this year's World Oceans Day is Awakened New Depths ("To reach new depths"). The ocean can be saved only by the efforts of all mankind. The existing attitude towards the ocean needs to be changed, because so far, with the arsenal of tools available to us, we have not been able to get closer to solving its problems. To give a powerful impetus to efforts to save the ocean, it is necessary to reach new depths. This year, on June 7, the United Nations will organize the celebration of World Oceans Day at the UN headquarters in New York. The annual event was prepared by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs in partnership with the non-profit organization Oceanic Global.

© Unsplash/Sh. Shamun: The world ocean covers more than 70 percent of the territory of our planet.

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