Newswise — Woods Hole, Mass. (Oct. 24, 2024) — Partners of the Ocean Pavilion, led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, are calling on world leaders to make robust, long-term investments in ocean observations, research, and mapping to support efforts that will help meet key objectives of UN conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification.
The Baku Ocean Declaration is being issued ahead of the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP29), being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, November 11-22. The declaration emphasizes the crucial role that knowledge about the ocean plays in the well-being of people and communities, as well as the health of ecosystems worldwide.
“Our future relies on humanity making smart decisions on how to manage the ocean,” said WHOI President and Director Peter de Menocal. “And making smart decisions demands that we have the best scientific information possible about the ocean and the many ways it affects everyone on the planet. Long-term, multi-scale ocean observations provide the critical data necessary to ensure a sustainable future for all.”
The ocean has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat and almost 30% of the excess carbon dioxide caused by human activity. As a result, the ocean’s continued health will determine the magnitude and rate of such factors as sea-level rise, increasing atmosphere and ocean temperatures, changes to the hydrological cycle, trends in ocean acidification and deoxygenation, ecosystem and biodiversity declines, and severe weather events. Despite this, international investment in ocean observing systems has not kept pace with the need for information to guide climate adaptation efforts and other critical decisions.
“The ocean has an outsized impact on global climate even when it comes to desertification and is impacted itself by climate change," said Margaret Leinen, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. "At least half of macro-organisms on the planet are marine. Most have not even been discovered, much less named, so ongoing discovery of the system supporting life on Earth is imperative to say the least.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that the world must take coordinated action to avoid exceeding 1.5°C increase over pre-industrial temperatures—a key threshold that climate scientists say staying below will avoid the most severe effects of climate change. At the same time, there is growing interest in the many opportunities that the ocean offers, including methods to mitigate rising greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, adapt to current and future climate change, and build a healthy blue economy that benefits humanity and protects critical ecosystems.
The COP29 Baku Ocean Declaration calls on the parties of the UN Climate Conference and beyond to adopt measures to improve observations of critical ocean variables to preserve these benefits and includes key points for negotiators and attendees to consider in discussions during the two-week long conference. In addition, the Declaration highlights opportunities that improved observations offer in addressing the interconnected objectives of the UN conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification, known collectively as the Rio Conventions.
Specific efforts spelled out in the COP29 Bakui Ocean Declaration include:
- Expand international collaboration to achieve progress in addressing the Earth’s climate, biodiversity, and freshwater crises.
- Enhance public and private funding to scale up and diversify support of long-term ocean observation, research, and innovation for decision-making.
- Build capacity and access, particularly in small island developing states, low-lying coastal regions, and other under-represented people and places to further develop ocean data, knowledge, and innovation.
- Improve awareness of the ocean’s role in planetary systems and the need for its preservation as a vital step towards mobilizing decision-makers to prioritize ocean protection and restoration.
The Ocean Pavilion is a dedicated space in the Blue Zone at COP29 that returns for a third year to put the ocean center-stage at a crucial time in international climate negotiations. The pavilion brings together diverse and influential partners who will call for ocean-focused solutions to be recognized as critical in the world’s response to the climate crisis. Throughout the two-week conference, the pavilion will feature more than 50 events to stimulate discussion on a wide range of topics related to the future of the ocean. Visitors will also be able to learn more about the work of Ocean Pavilion partners and to speak with scientists, thought leaders, and students engaged in the search for solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
More information about the Ocean Pavilion and COP29 can be found on the pavilion website and by signing up to receive email updates from COP29.
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About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of ocean data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge to inform people and policies for a healthier planet. Learn more at whoi.edu.
About UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography:
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego is one of the world’s most important centers for global earth science research and education. In its second century of discovery, Scripps scientists work to understand and protect the planet, and investigate our oceans, Earth, and atmosphere to find solutions to our greatest environmental challenges. Scripps offers unparalleled education and training for the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders through its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The institution also operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels, and is home to Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the public exploration center that welcomes 500,000 visitors each year.
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