Threats to Ocean Health

Our world's oceans are crucial to global environmental and economic sustainability. When oceans are healthy, the natural benefits that they provide can mitigate the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and development issues around the world. "Blue carbon" coastal ecosystems, which store five times as much atmospheric carbon as tropical forests and can absorb it three times as fast, could be gone in 100 years if not prioritized now. Globally, 50 percent of salt marshes, 35 percent of mangroves, and 30 percent of coral have been destroyed since the 1950s.

The worldwide call to action 30x30 aims to protect 30 percent of the world's oceans, lands, and freshwater by 2030. Nearly 200 countries have adopted this framework to protect these natural resources.  In June 2024, the Biden administration released three new strategies to advance sustainable ocean management, supporting the goal of conserving, protecting, and maintaining healthy oceans and coastal communities.

Due to rapid warming, currents in the Arctic and the Atlantic appear to be slowing down. One recent study points to the potential rapid collapse of the Atlantic current, though other studies say that a long-term slowdown is more likely. These changes could drastically impact Earth’s climate and lead to major changes in global weather patterns, including shifting monsoon seasons in the tropics and Southeast Asia and more extreme winters in parts of Europe and the U.S. Food-producing regions are especially at risk, as predictable weather patterns are crucial to the stability of the global food supply, and downstream impacts at the regional and community scales could be similarly significant. The causes of oceanic warming are complex, but rising greenhouse gas emissions in both air and water are primary drivers.

The threats to ocean ecosystems and their significant and complex interconnection with the health of the entire planet add additional uncertainty to the future unfolding of climate change impacts. Planners must pay attention to how their work intersects with these issues, particularly in coastal areas.