World Ocean Assessment highlights urgent need for science and global action

This article is published in association with United Nations.

In the wood-panelled rooms of New York’s storied Explorers Club, where portraits of pioneering adventurers line the walls, diplomats, scientists and ocean advocates gathered on Tuesday evening with a shared sense of urgency – and anticipation.

They were joined by renowned ocean advocate Sylvia Earle and explorer Fabien Cousteau to mark the imminent release of the World Ocean Assessment, a sweeping report described at the event as “possibly the most important book about the ocean ever written”.

Set to be launched on World Ocean Day, 8 June, the 1,600-page assessment is the result of more than five years of work by 550 experts from 86 countries, offering a detailed overview of the mounting pressures on the ocean and the action needed to safeguard it.

Speaking at the event, Steven Hill, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs at the United Nations, said the assessment “reinforces a very clear message: science is indispensable”.

He said the report provides a foundation for “understanding the profound changes that are underway, from climate-driven shifts to biodiversity loss, and for shaping effective action both at the local level, but also at the global level”.

What we still don’t know

Despite decades of progress, vast areas of the ocean, particularly the deep sea, remain poorly understood.

Sylvia Earle, the renowned veteran oceanographer, warned that the report also points to the scale of the work still needed.

“The one thing that also must be done, and will occupy many volumes, is the magnitude of what we still don’t know,” she said. 

Echoing Mark Twain’s famous quote, “what gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so,” Ms. Earle said scientists now know far more than previous generations but must remain aware of how much remains unknown.

“We shouldn’t be too ambitious about thinking we have all the right answers,” she added.

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Knowledge alone is not enough

“Knowledge alone is not enough,” Mr. Hill said. “We’re at a moment where ocean ecosystems are approaching critical thresholds, and where the choices we make, that are grounded in the best available science, will determine the future of the ocean and the benefits that it can provide.”

That knowledge must also be inclusive, he added, bringing together disciplines, regions and diverse perspectives, including those of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

“At the end of the day we are in one community and we must all row in the same direction…the only way we can get out of this is together,” Fabien Cousteau, ocean advocate and grandson of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, said at the Explorers Club.

Bahia Tahzib-Lie, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations, said that the assessment “offers a powerful roadmap for action through global collaboration and multilateralism.” As a co-chair of the assessment, she highlighted that the landmark report could be the most comprehensive and insightful assessment of the ocean to date.

Stick with UN News for more special coverage of the World Ocean Assessment ahead of the launch next week…