31 July 2018
UNESCO-IOC Briefs on Declining Ocean Oxygen
UN Photo/Martine Perret
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An IOC expert working group has released a publication on declining oxygen in the world’s oceans and coasts.

The brief provides fifteen facts about ocean deoxygenation to consider when developing relevant policies and regulations.

20 July 2018: The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published a policy brief that shares scientific data and conclusions on the declining levels of oxygen in the world’s oceans and coastal waters. The brief aims to provide policymakers with the latest information on deoxygenation to enable them to make decisions and take actions on the issue.

The IOC expert working group Global Ocean Oxygen Network (GO2NE) produced the policy brief titled, ‘The Ocean Is Losing Its Breath: Declining Oxygen in the World’s Ocean and Coastal Waters.’ According to the brief, the area of low oxygen water in the open ocean has increased by 4.5 million km2 since the 1960s and over 500 low oxygen sites have been identified around the world. Further, the brief predicts that deoxygenation will worsen in coming areas due to continued greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and discharges of nitrogen and phosphorous as human populations and economies grow. The report shares current scientific knowledge on ocean deoxygenation and identifies remaining gaps and uncertainties.

The publication provides fifteen facts about ocean deoxygenation for policymakers to consider when developing relevant policies and regulations. As an illustration, the brief states that oxygen is critical to the health of the ocean, it structures aquatic ecosystems, and it is a fundamental requirement for marine life. Other facts focus on the role of human activities in ocean decline, including burning of fossil fuels and discharges from agriculture and human waste, which result in climate change and increase nitrogen and phosphorous inputs, the primary causes of deoxygenation. Additional facts highlight other causes and effects of deoxygenation and underscore how restoring the ocean’s health can directly benefit human health and well-being.

The report recommends reducing GHG emissions and nutrient inputs into coastal waters; linking climate change to nutrient reduction strategies; alleviating anthropogenic stressors that threaten resilience and increase vulnerability of marine ecosystems to deoxygenation; and ensuring an interdisciplinary approach to ocean research, management and policy. The publication further highlights the role of fisheries management strategies and marine spatial planning in protecting species and habitats and addressing deoxygenation vulnerabilities.

Such actions are in line with SDG 14 (life below water) target 14.2, which seeks to “sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.”

UNESCO IOC established the GO2NE expert group in 2016 to provide a global and multidisciplinary view on deoxygenation. The group provides scientific advice to policymakers to address deoxygenation and preserve marine resources in the presence of deoxygenation. [UNESCO Press Release] [Publication: The Ocean Is Losing Its Breath: Declining Oxygen in the World’s Ocean and Coastal Waters]

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