EU report on the state of the seas: “Unprecedented pressures on the ocean”

As of: 09/22/2021 10:54 a.m.

Climate change, pollution and overexploitation: the EU Earth Observation Program report on the state of the seas is alarming. The advancing ice melt in the Arctic in particular could have far-reaching consequences.

The latest report from the EU’s Earth observation program, Copernicus, paints a bleak picture of the state of the seas. In the annual report on behalf of the European Commission, 150 scientists show how quickly the oceans are changing due to human intervention.

The world’s oceans are doing worse and worse. The worst consequences: The warming of the world’s oceans and the melting land ice lead to an increase in sea level according to the report – in the Mediterranean area by 2.5 millimeters per year and worldwide by up to 3.1 millimeters. The flooding of Venice in November 2019, when the water level rose to up to 1.89 meters, is cited as an example of the threatening consequences.

The warming of the oceans also means that sea creatures migrate to cooler waters or the populations of species are shrinking.

The Arctic is melting

According to the report, the Arctic sea ice continues to decline steadily: Between 1979 and 2020, the Arctic lost an ice surface that is about six times the size of Germany. Since 1979, the ice has receded by 12.89 percent per decade. The lows were recorded in the past two years.

The report warns that if the Arctic sea ice continues to melt, it could contribute to regional warming, erosion of the Arctic coasts and changes in global weather patterns.

Extreme fluctuations

“Climate change, pollution and overexploitation have caused unprecedented stress on the ocean,” said Karina von Schuckmann, Chair of the Ocean State Report, in a statement accompanying the report.

Another finding of the report is that extreme fluctuations due to heat and cold waves in the North Sea are directly related to changes in fishing. The sole, European lobster, sea bass and edible crabs are mentioned here.

The world’s oceans cover most of the earth’s surface and regulate the climate – precise and timely monitoring is crucial in order to better understand the oceans and to be able to react to changes, the scientists write.

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