By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
“There has never been a time of greater promise or
greater challenge for the future of our oceans,”
said the specialist at Copenhagen this week for
the first Global Planning Meeting for the U.N.
Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development (2021-2030).
From transforming the scientific capacity of
Pacific island countries dependent on the ocean
for their survival, to increasing ocean literacy
for the sustainable development of Africa’s Blue
Economy - international cooperation to advance
deep sea marine science will be key to unlocking
the potential of our oceans.
The role of ocean science in furthering the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development is widely
recognized.
In 2017 the U.N. General Assembly declared the
U.N. Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development for 2021-2030 to foster scientific
research and technological innovation in support
of a healthier, more sustainable ocean. An
initiative led by the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission of the U.N. Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO).
In his annual report on ‘Oceans and the Law of the
Sea’, released in March 2019, the U.N.
Secretary-General, underlines the cross-cutting
role of ocean science in the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is at
the core of the International Seabed Authority’s
(ISA) mandate. Indeed, ISA’s mission is to promote
and encourage the conduct of marine scientific
research in the international seabed area, and
especially to facilitate effective participation
by developing States in deep sea exploration and
research programs.
Recognizing these synergies, IOC-UNESCO and ISA
have joined forces to achieve shared objectives,
such as improved mapping of the seabed and
enhancing ocean observing networks. By building
inclusive, innovative and transformative
partnerships, IOC-UNESCO and ISA are meeting their
strategic objectives and those of the U.N. Decade
- to universally foster action to advance ocean
science for the benefit of all mankind as a whole.
There is no doubt that ocean science will be
critical for the survival of our planet. Nearly 3
billion people depend on marine and coastal
biodiversity to meet their needs. The ocean
absorbs around a third of the CO2 produced by
humans and reduces the impact of climate change.
Yet we still know so little about the cumulative
effects of the human activities on our oceans.
According to the IOC’s 2017 Global Ocean Science
Report, national spending on ocean sciences only
accounts for between 0.04 to 4 percent of the
total invested in research and development.
Indeed, the ocean remains one of the least known
areas of the planet. It covers 71 per cent of the
globe, yet we have explored less than 5 percent of
it. Covering 54 percent of the world’s oceans, the
international deep seabed is at the center of this
new frontier. The rich biodiversity and large
mineral deposits found on the sea floor create
exciting challenges and opportunities to further
develop a sustainable future. Yet our knowledge of
the seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction,
including the interaction between the physical
structures and the biota in those areas remains
limited.
“But things are changing. In light of new
developments in science and technology, as well as
shifting economic circumstances, commercial
interest in deep sea mining has grown rapidly in
recent years,” said ISA authorities.
Over the last decade, ISA has issued 29 contracts
for exploration of the international deep seabed
area, involving 22 different countries, covering
0.7 per cent of the world’s seabed. Most of these
are in the abyssal plains of the
Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region spanning 5,000
kilometers across the central Pacific Ocean.
“The research undertaken as part of these
contracts is the main source of data and knowledge
helping us to better understand the deep seabed
ecosystems and functions. It is through this
research that we will be able to identify the best
measures required to protect the marine
environment from the effect of human impact,” said
specialists.
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How could technology help in knowing more about
the oceans without affecting their ecosystems? We
would like to know your thoughts on this
story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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