18 November 2009: On the occasion of the expert workshop on scientific and technical aspects relevant to environmental impact assessment in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, held from 18-20 November 2009, in Manila, the Philippines, Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), highlighted that recent global marine environmental assessments have observed a serious deterioration of the marine environment, further exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
Djoghlaf drew attention to a forthcoming CBD publication, a scientific synthesis on the impacts of ocean acidification on marine biodiversity, which will be launched during the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December. The publication shows that increasing ocean acidification reduces the availability of carbonate minerals in seawater that are important building blocks for marine plants and animals. It has been predicted that, by 2100, 70% of cold water corals, key refuges and feeding grounds for commercial fish species, will be exposed to corrosive waters. [The Statement]