A report published this week from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) has warned that the health of the world's oceans is deteriorating more rapidly than previously thought.
The World's oceans are warming as a result of climate change, the absorption of carbon dioxide is slowly acidifying the water and the oceans are also suffering as a result from overfishing and pollution. An additional problem is the creation of dead zones which are formed by fertiliser run-off.
The report says, "We have been taking the ocean for granted. It has been shielding us from the worst effects of accelerating climate change by absorbing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. Whilst terrestrial temperature increases may be experiencing a pause, the ocean continues to warm regardless. For the most part, however, the public and policy-makers are failing to recognise - or choosing to ignore - the severity of the situation."
As a result, IPSO recommend that Governments halt carbon dioxide increase at 450 parts per million, as anything higher will cause massive acidification, as well as calling for more focused fisheries management.
