The ocean climate in the next four years will significantly impact the future of the seas. This summer, the ocean sent us another warning. In August, global sea surface temperatures reached their highest recorded levels. A few days later, the most comprehensive assessment of coral reefs was released, showing that marine heatwaves are increasingly reducing the opportunities for coral recovery between bleaching events. Global hard coral cover has decreased by 9.5% compared to the 1980-2009 average, largely due to human-induced climate change.
The Importance of Ocean Protection
This issue is very concerning to me, but it is also a reason for action. I come from Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands off the east coast of Africa, where the ocean is an integral part of our life, livelihood, and future. The ocean supports the food we eat, the jobs people depend on, and the resilience of our economy.
Read more: Governments are falling behind in achieving UN biodiversity goals
During my years of service, I have seen what is possible when governments make ocean protection a political priority. In 2020, during my presidency, Seychelles designated 30% of its waters for protection, years before the world adopted the global goal of protecting 30% of land and ocean by 2030. This experience taught me that ambitious protection is possible when political commitment is accompanied by action.
The Need for Global Action
With less than four years remaining until 2030, the international community must apply the same determination to protect the global ocean. Since the adoption of the global goal in 2022, countries have made significant progress. Nearly 20% of land and inland waters are now designated as protected or conserved, and existing commitments could bring terrestrial protection to about 27% by 2030.
However, the situation at sea is significantly different. About 10% of the global ocean is currently designated as protected or conserved, and existing commitments can only increase that figure to about 12% by 2030. Therefore, the next phase of this global effort must place greater emphasis on the ocean. Governments need to establish more marine protected areas, strengthen national commitments where aspirations are still low, and rapidly transition from goals to protection in the waters.
This issue goes beyond environmental protection. Healthy marine ecosystems support fisheries and food security, sustain livelihoods and economies, sequester carbon, and help protect coastal communities from climate impacts.
Read more: Women workers in India examine the effects of heat on their lives · Gathering of over 100 people in San Francisco to shout at the ocean
