The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and is home to an incredible diversity of life.
The ocean plays a crucial role in regulating our climate, providing food and livelihoods for billions of people, maintaining global biodiversity and sustaining the marine creatures we love.
However, the health of our ocean is under serious threat from a range of human activities.
A healthy ocean underpins life on Earth, and is critical to sustain marine ecosystems, climate regulation and billions of people.
Biodiversity
The ocean helps sustain life on Earth and is home to some of the most diverse animals and ecosystems.
Climate regulation
The ocean generates at least half of the planet’s oxygen and holds 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere.
Food and livelihoods
Billions of people rely on the ocean to survive and thrive, as a source of food and for their economies.
Climate change causes ocean warming, acidification, and rising sea levels. These changes disrupt marine ecosystems, alter animals’ migratory patterns, and affect their prey availability.
According to the Climate Council, the ocean has absorbed a staggering 93% of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions, which means the ocean is absorbing excess heat energy equivalent to five Hiroshima bomb explosions every second.[1]
When fish are caught faster than they can reproduce it leads to the decline of vital species and destabilises the entire food web. Overfishing is a global issue, caused predominantly by poor management in fisheries and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The unintended capture of non-target animals (bycatch) exacerbates the problem. According to the International Whaling Commission, ~300,000 whales and dolphins die every year after being entangled in fishing gear. These practices harm marine life and jeopardise the livelihoods of millions who depend on fishing for food and income.[2]
Choking, trapping, poisoning—plastic pollution does it all to animals, the environment and to humans. Every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic enters the ocean.[3] This threatens marine animals who ingest it or become entangled. Plastics also break down into microplastics, infiltrating all food chains and ecosystems from the sea surface to the deepest trenches.
Toxic runoff from farms, mining and industry introduces heavy metals, fertilisers and synthetic chemicals into the ocean. These pollutants can kill marine animals outright or disrupt entire food webs. One startling example: toxic algal blooms fuelled by fertiliser runoff can create dead zones with zero oxygen.[4]
Shipping, sonar, and offshore drilling fill the ocean with disruptive sound, interfering with animals that rely on echolocation and communication. For example, for whales and dolphins this acoustic smog can mean disorientation, stress, and even failing to migrate.[5]
Implementing solutions to restore the ocean's health requires coordinated efforts from everyone, and leadership from Governments. Here are two quick actions you can take to encourage Governments to act.
Demand urgent action to reform Australia’s broken nature laws that are designed to protect them
Ask your Government to ratify the High Seas Treaty and commit to implementing its objectives