healthy oceans

Cigarette butts: The most prevalent form of ocean litter

While walking along the coast, one can come across broken bottles, plastic toys and food wrappers among others, but cigarette butts appear to be the most common.

In fact, cigarette butts are a prevalent, lasting, and toxic form of marine debris, that can potentially harm marine organisms and their environments. Cigarette butts initially reach the waterways through their improper disposal on beaches, rivers and land and are transported to the coats by rainwater.

Moreover, the 2018 International...

https://safety4sea.com/cigarette-butts-the-most-prevalent-form-of-ocean-litter/

EU, Germany alert on urgency of ocean governance

The European Commission and Germany conducted the first Marine Regions Forum, September 30, with experts focusing on the importance of ocean governance and the adoption of a cross-border and interdisciplinary cooperation to achieve healthy, safe and productive seas.

The ocean governance issue has become a matter of great importance for the EU, for a variety of reasons as resource management, environmental protection or sustainable economic development.

However, global discussions about the future...

https://safety4sea.com/eu-germany-alert-on-urgency-of-ocean-governance/

52 NGOs call EU leaders to protect the ocean

52 non-governmental organisations sent a letter to EU leaders asking them to lead their nations towards the protection of ocean, and the reduction of CO2 emissions, following today’s launch of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC),

The open letter is addressed towards Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President-elect of the European Council; David Sassoli,...

https://safety4sea.com/52-ngos-call-eu-leaders-to-protect-the-ocean/

Today’s choices crucial for the future of the ocean

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report highlights the urgency to prioritize timely, ambitious and coordinated action to address unprecedented and enduring changes in the ocean and cryosphere. The report also reveals the benefits of ambitious and effective adaptation for sustainable development and the increasing costs and risks of delayed action.

The IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, approved on 24 September 2019 by the 195...

https://safety4sea.com/todays-choices-crucial-for-the-future-of-the-ocean/

Nine principles for healthy oceans launched

During UN’s Climate Action Summit in New York, the UN Global Compact launched the UN Sustainable Ocean Principles, providing a base for responsible business practices across sectors, in line with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

The newly-launched Sustainable Ocean Principles highlight the urgency on tackling climate change which severely impacts on the oceans, resulting to high temperatures, acidification, and pollution from...

https://safety4sea.com/nine-principles-for-healthy-oceans-launched/

EU calls for grants on tidal, wave energy monitoring devices

The European Commission announced a new call for grants to attract projects to improve the environmental monitoring of tidal and wave energy technologies, supporting the European development of ocean energy.

– The deadline for applications is 15 January 2020. –

Specifically, the €2.3 million grant will assist future deployments by de-risking and documenting the licensing process.

Ocean energy could boost EU’s energy independence and its goal of sourcing minimum 32% of EU energy consumption from...

https://safety4sea.com/eu-calls-for-grants-on-tidal-wave-energy-monitoring-devices/

EU launches actions to clean up marine litter worldwide

On beaches across Europe and the world, EU staff are cooperating with local communities to clean up marine litter as part of the #EUBeachCleanUp campaign. Launched on 19 August, this year’s campaign will run through October, with actions taking place in more than 80 countries, on all populated continents.

This year, due to innovative partnerships with the United Nations and the Smurfs, the campaign reaches thousands of citizens of all ages. The success of #EUBeachCleanup depends on its...

https://safety4sea.com/eu-launches-actions-to-clean-up-marine-litter-worldwide/

Issues arising from ocean warming

ocean temperature warming

With the ocean absorbing vast quantities of heat, increased concentrations of GHG are reported in the atmosphere, mainly from fossil fuel consumption. In fact, the Fifth Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2013 indicated that the ocean had absorbed over 93% of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions since the 1970s. This is leading ocean temperatures to increase.

According to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...

https://safety4sea.com/issues-arising-from-ocean-warming/

Ferry in Alaska monitors ocean acidification

The last two years MV Columbia records the ocean’s vitals every three minutes, along a 1,600-kilometer route through the Inside Passage. This includes the coastal region from Puget Sound to the Alaska Panhandle. The ship measures the sea’s temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen content, and carbon dioxide concentration, aiming to monitor ocean acidification.

In remote nearshore regions, little data exists to indicate what is happening to coastal ecosystems, due to the fact that oceans are...

https://safety4sea.com/ferry-in-alaska-monitors-ocean-acidification/

Human impact on oceans doubled the last decade, report finds

Over the recent decade, the overall human impacts to the world’s oceans have, on average, almost doubled and could double again in the next decade without the necessary action, according to a new study by researchers from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara.

The study assessed for the first time where the combined impacts that humans are having on oceans are changing and how quickly. In about 60% of the ocean, the overall impacts are increasing...

https://safety4sea.com/human-impact-on-oceans-doubled-the-last-decade-report-finds/

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