A new story for the ocean

Stories help frame our thinking and action. On the eve of World Oceans Day and in anticipation of the United Nations Decade of the Science of the Sea for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), a new narrative is needed for the ocean – a story that reflects current scientific knowledge and inspires new scientific knowledge and effective action.

For most of the history of mankind, the ocean was considered so immense, so generous and so strong that it was impossible to exhaust or disrupt it. The general story was: "The ocean is so vast that it is just too big to fail. the attractiveness of new economic opportunities; or the need for food, resources and development. However, the folly of this story too big to fail has become blatantly obvious thanks to overwhelming scientific evidence of depletion, disruption and pollution. Climate change, ocean acidification, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution by nutrients, plastics and toxic substances are insidious. These changes threaten the most vulnerable people. economic prosperity, quality of life and opportunities for all; and the well-being of the amazing life forms of the ocean. The problems appear too complex, the personal interests too powerful and the inertia of the system too great, especially as ocean demand increases. A new story appeared: "The ocean is massively and fatally depleted and disturbed. The ocean is just too big to be repaired. "The result? Depression and lack of commitment and motivation.

Yet, despite undeniable challenges, allusions to a new state of mind are emerging. Many powerful solutions already exist and could be expanded. There are many opportunities to develop new solutions based on efficiency, incentives, technology, biotechnology and regenerative and holistic approaches. In addition, since the ocean is at the heart of the functioning of the planet and human well-being, many oceanic solutions could provide substantial associated benefits to combat poverty, hunger, economic development, inequality, peace, security, resilience of the coasts and adaptation climate mitigation. For example, reforming fisheries for smarter fisheries can help restore ocean ecosystems. reduce the impacts of climate change; and enhance food security, job creation and poverty reduction. The combination of remote sensing, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, transparency and new policies can reduce illegal fishing. Enabling sustainable aquaculture – especially for low trophic level species – could significantly contribute to food security, with a much lower environmental footprint than terrestrial animal production. The creation of well-designed and well-protected marine protected areas will preserve biodiversity, replenish ocean resources and help mitigate the effects of climate change and ocean acidification. to adapt to it. It is essential to integrate ocean action into the climate agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. To broaden the range of effective solutions and adapt them globally, scientists must work actively with communities, fishers, businesses, non-governmental organizations, managers and policy makers to ensure that solutions are complementary, integrated, effective and fast.

A new narrative does not automatically change the status quo, but if adopted on a large scale, it can reset expectations and unlock ingenuity. Yes, the challenges are fierce and the future unpredictable. But here is an opportunity to replicate, accelerate and intensify existing successes while spawning innovative and transformative changes. Key players in politics and business are open to innovation. The time has come for more scientists to move from simply documenting the ongoing tragedy to creating scalable solutions.

It's time to launch a new story about the ocean that says, "The ocean is at the heart of our future. It is too important to neglect. "By creating a new space of solutions for the ocean, we can also address broader global issues. By healing the ocean, we can heal ourselves. The ocean supports us and feeds us. It connects us. This is our past and our future. The ocean is not too big to fail, nor too big to be repaired. It's too big to be ignored.