Expanding Ocean Acidication Observing Capacity to Take Action

It is now clear that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are the chief cause of ocean acidification. We know that these gases are also the prime cause of the accelerating processes of the ocean’s deoxygenation and warming, with a long list of consequences including reduced marine biodiversity, habitat reduction, death of coral and rising sea levels. As such, anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions threaten to undermine the achievement of SDG14’s goal of conserving and sustainably using the ocean’s resources, thereby impeding the current and future well-being of the ocean ecosystems upon which life on Planet Earth depends. This event will be a call for action to governments, industries and scientists to increase ambition for ocean acidification action, and to expand ocean acidification observing capacity required to minimize the impacts on ocean and human health. For more information and to watch the event, please visit this link: https://www.un.org/en/cop26/page/programme

Kirsten Isensee, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO,
Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for the Ocean
Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO
Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK
SPREP
Jodie Miller, Section Head of the Isotope Hydrology Section, NAPC, IAEA
Steve Widdicombe, Co-chair of GOA-ON, OARS, Director of Science at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK