At the opening plenary, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “Today we face what I would call an ocean emergency.” He cited how pollution and climate change had wreaked havoc on the oceans. Ocean health is essential to humankind.
They produce 50% of the oxygen we breathe and feed billions of people every day with vital protein and nutrients.
Oceans, which make up 70% of the Earth’s surface, have also lessened the effects of climate change on life on land. but at a great price
Sea water has become acidic as a result of the oceans absorbing about a quarter of CO2 pollution, even while emissions have increased by half over the past 60 years. This threatens aquatic food chains and the oceans’ ability to absorb carbon.
More than 90% of the extra heat from global warming is being absorbed by the ocean, which has resulted in enormous marine heatwaves that are destroying priceless coral reefs and growing oxygen-free dead zones.
