30x30

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Protect 30% of the World's Ocean by 2030!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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1. Why do we need to protect oceans?

We need to protect oceans because oceans:

Contain 80% of all species on earth

Have a vital role in the regulation of our climate and has absorbed 30% of human emitted CO2 emissions into our atmosphere and more than 90% of the heat produced by global warming (again, human emissions)

Produce about fifty percent of all the oxygen that we breathe in (every 2nd breath we take)

Provide food for 3 billion people (seafood) as primary source of protein and largest total provider of protein in general.

Provide countless services such as spurring trade, communication and transport, and helps with economic income of various regions and states.

Are responsible for the annual generation of around $1.5 trillion US dollars in economic activity, including about $39 billion from tourism only.

About 70% of all freshwater today is used for agriculture

⅓ of global fish stocks are overfished.

We’ve lost 90% of big ocean fish in the last century

2. How was the 30x30 concept created?

At the Nagoya Conference in 2010, it was agreed between governments from around the world that by 2020 at least 10% of marine and coastal areas and 17% of terrestrial and inland water should be conserved. These targets haven’t been met, whilst the importance of the oceans is becoming increasingly noticed and targets of conserving 30% by 2030, although ambitious, are key to mitigating climate change.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted the targets to achieve 30% marine conservation by 2030, which is in line with researchers discovery that it’s vital for the maintenance of the functioning of marine ecosystems for its conservation to be over 30%. This includes 24% of marine ecosystems that fall under Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ).

Flashforward to NOW...

The 196 parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in 2021 to go over the new agenda after the Nagoya Conference in 2010. This new plan integrates with the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as setting new perimeters for the conservation of nature through to 2030 and beyond. The statement from NGOs and other civil society organizations that emphasize the importance of the conservation of 30% of the oceans by 2030 was discussed at this year’s CBD and was supported by over 70 countries. This includes the protection and conservation of 30% of our oceans and the aim to sustainably manage 100% of our oceans. It’s important to highlight that this 30% cannot be achieved without taking into consideration the rights of indigenous peoples.

3. What are MPAs (Marine Protected Areas), and why are they important?

Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, are regions of the ocean that are closely managed in an effort

to preserve the health of the natural area. The location, size, and type of the habitat protected by MPA policy can greatly vary -ranging from large portions of the ocean to small inter-tidal zones; this allows for some

flexibility in which type of authorities monitor a marine protected area, what human actions they restrict, and how scientific data collection is managed (NOAA). MPAs function as tools to protect the natural world by restricting behaviors such as human recreational activities, fishing, collection of any materials from the environment, and pollution so as to promote ecosystem health separate from external disturbances (NOAA). Even if you live in a landlocked area or far from an MPA, you are still directly affected by the ocean. We must keep in mind how ocean health affects global ecosystems since the ocean connects us. Ultimately, any damage to our ocean negatively impacts human health.

For example, the enhanced water quality in many Marine Protected Areas is not only critical for the survival of the species in that region, but also promotes the health of nearby regions (such as fisheries). There are serious consequences to consuming the very fish that live in an ocean full of human-created plastic; so if not for the benefit of beautiful biodiverse marine regions, advocate for protecting larger portions of the ocean for the health of the human race.

4. How much of our ocean is already protected?

5. Why, scientifically, should we protect 30x30, and in what ways?

Algorithms and data gathered determine which ABNJs should be conserved (which areas have highest necessity of conservation). Factors that are included in this assessment are the species and habitat diversity, threatened species, productivity, anthropogenic use of the area, productivity and vulnerability. Additionally, the distribution of species (both endangered and non-endangered) is measured, and used to predict how this distribution would be in the future. This is based on limiting factors that might be surpassed in a climate-altered ocean (effects of climate change on the global ocean system). By these studies, it is concluded that the conservation of at least 30% (although some scientists argue that it should aim for 50% or 100%) is desirable and necessary to keep ecosystems from surpassing unpredictable tipping points. Regions that are likely to need to be conserved include the west of Africa associated with the Benguela and South Equatorial Atlantic Currents, portions of the North Atlantic Current, Northeast Pacific, Arabian Sea, nearshore Antarctica, and regions off west of South America including the Salas y Gómez Ridge.

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Source - Sciencedirect⁹

This data shows that a minimum of 30% conservation is the general consensus on keeping the ecosystems functioning as they are now, and reduce future impact by limiting it. This is conducted in the four areas of Biological Features, Physical Features, Contemporary Species Richness and Future Species Richness.

6. Where have 30x30 agreements been passed, where have they not?

Now, at least 50 countries committed to protecting 30 percent of the planet, including land and ocean, over the next decade to halt species extinction and address climate change issues.

7. Which ocean-based climate solutions will be most effective at combating climate change and mass extinction?

Ocean Based Renewable Energy

Ocean based renewable energy would include scaling up offshore wind and other forms of ocean energy from ocean waves, currents, tides, salinity, and ocean temperature differences. These sources have significant potential in energy. For offshore wind, it is predicted to generate 650 to 3,500 TWh (terawatts)/year by 2050; other ocean based energy could be 110 to 1,900 TWh/year. Just offshore wind alone would be able to produce more than the world’s electricity demand by that time. Additionally, this solution could offer the benefits of long term, positive effects for ecosystems with offshore wind farm structures which would act like an artificial reef; reduction in local air pollution; reduction in freshwater usage for producing energy; job

creation for the local community (an estimated 435,000 jobs by 2030) with potential for gender equality in the workforce. Yet, this solution could also face trade offs with the spread of invasive species, noise pollution, and disturbances for marine species from vibration; collision risks with birds; and being the source never deployed commercially at scale.

Ocean Based Transportation

Ocean based transportation would mean to transform both domestic and international shipping. This would mean batteries could be used to store energy for short voyages, low/zero carbon synthetic fuels, such as renewable hydrogen, could replace fossil fuels; and replacing fossil fuels with biofuel. This new transportation change has the potential to cause roughly 100 percent reduction in operational net GHG emissions. This solution offers benefits of reduction in seasonal “hot spots” of ocean acidification caused by strong acids from shipping emissions, beneficial impact for people who live near ports or coastal regions such as the lowering of sulfur content of fuel oil used from ships, and by upgrading it will increase efficiency in marine transport. However, to create this, the cost to transition to alternative fuels will be high; yet, this is considered to be a marginal impact on the price of traded commodities.

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds are natural absorbers of carbon dioxide. They can sequester carbon content with rates per hectare up to ten times that of ecosystems on land. When these ecosystems are damaged or destroyed, the CO2, which could have been stored for hundreds to thousands of years, is oxidized and then emitted back into the atmosphere within decades. Between 20 to 50 percent of these ecosystems have already been tampered with. How these systems could avert the climate crisis would mean conserving and protecting “blue carbon” ecosystems, restoration and expansion of those already degraded, expansion of seaweed through aquaculture as alternatives to land based fuel, food, and feed; and end exploitation of the ocean to support the recovery of coastal and marine ecosystems. This solution offers many positives with increased benefits from climate change adaptations from healthier marine ecosystems as well as protecting coastal infrastructure and buffering acidification, higher biodiversity benefits, provision of nutritious food through support of fisheries and increase of traditional medicine from those ecosystems, increase in natural resources and recreation, and integration of social and gender equality to work effectively. On the other hand, this solution could result in pushing too quickly without consideration of those heavily dependent on the resource for economic sustainability, small-scale cultivation of seaweed is considered low-risk, and mitigation options could mean poverty increase and employment targets, and limit progress in food security in the short term.

Ocean Agriculture

Ocean agriculture can be altered in three main ways: reduce emissions of wild-capture fisheries such as technological advancements in engine efficiency or hull design, reduce emissions of aquaculture by minimizing the carbon profile of fish feed, and encourage shifting the diet of humans from high carbon emitting foods like red meat to ocean based proteins. The co benefits of this option include the increase of excellent human health, help advance to a society less dependant on livestock, the creation of jobs (an estimated 3.2 million in 2030), would improve efficiency in the growing industry of aquaculture and global food targets, replacing fish meal with plant based products requires less water consumption, and structural changes to fisheries are economically beneficial. However, this solution is associated with multiple environmental challenges such as the risk of invasive species, unplanned growth in shrimp aquaculture has caused widespread loss of mangrove ecosystems, and increased inclusion of plant based feed could lead to competition for land.

Ocean Seabeds

Every year, our oceans absorb 25%-30% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Because of this, ocean seabeds have the potential to store fossil fuel gases, although it should be considered cautiously due to the risks of marine and ocean ecosystems until greater development for a global scale. CO2 extraction to ocean seabeds work by concentrating, compressing, and transporting the gas to the deep water injection site. Besides this, ocean seabeds could benefit society with job creation. Yet, the trade offs of this would be a potential risk of the CO2 leaking back into the waters and therefore increasing ocean acidification and unknown serious impacts to deep-sea ecosystems which are our planet's largest habitat. (Hoegh-Guldberg, 2019)

Sources:

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Heather Kramp: Seaweed is about to blow your climate change mind⁠

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http://www.oceanpanel.org/climate⁠

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