Why Protect the Oceans?

The oceans, covering over two-thirds (around 71%) of the Earth’s surface area, together with the atmosphere, control the world’s climatic patterns, mainly as a result of the thermohaline circulation. In addition, the oceans act as large stores of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, and hence help to fight the effects of global warming.

The oceans are also an important habitat for many marine species and provide a wide range of goods (e.g. fisheries) and services (maritime traffic, offshore wind farms, wave energy, oil exploration and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, natural gas in the North Sea). Some marine species, such as gorgonians (sea fans, similar to corals) are indicators of climate change, dying suddenly and in large numbers when surface sea temperatures rise above a certain level.