PESTEL Summary - Oceans 

 

Regarding our oceans, the social and environmental factors in PESTEL are very important. Socially, the oceans are vital for our planet as they cover most of it, provide oxygen and food, regulate the climate, and support 80% of life on Earth. However, climate change and human activities are negatively affecting the health of the oceans, endangering marine ecosystems and posing risks to both the environment and human well-being Another important social aspect to note is the fact that over 190 countries protect 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.

 

The environmental factor plays a big part today in our oceans. Focusing on ocean acidification the state of our marine ecosystems is decreasing. The rapid increase in ocean acidification is one of the major effects of climate change on the marine environment. However, it's important to highlight that there are efforts underway to restore damaged coral reefs and provide increased protection for internationally traded sharks and rays, which are positive environmental actions.

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Deep Dive - Oceans 

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Our oceans cover 70% of the planet and provide us with oxygen and food. They regulate the climate, and are home to 80% of life on Earth. (R4)

 

The health of our oceans is deteriorating at an alarming rate due to climate change and human activities. A wide range of threats, such as water acidification and pollution, are endangering the well-being of marine ecosystems and posing risks to both the environment and human beings. (R4) The oceans are experiencing escalating temperatures, heightened acidity levels, and decreasing oxygen concentrations. Concurrently, sea levels are rising. These changes, coupled with the detrimental effects of overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction, are driving the loss of marine biodiversity. (R5)

 

On this page we will focus on ocean acidification, but if you want to read more about other threats to the ocean we recommend you to visit https://unric.org/en/oceans-in-danger-the-threats-they-face/

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/ocean-impacts

 

Ocean acidification is the ongoing process of decreasing the pH levels of the Earth's oceans, caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. When CO2 dissolves in seawater, it reacts with water molecules to form carbonic acid, which in turn releases hydrogen ions, lowering the pH level of the water and making it more acidic. (R6) 

 

There is also something called coastal acidification, which entails alterations in coastal chemistry as a result of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. Coastal acidification happens when the water near the coast gets affected by things like water from rivers and too many nutrients from the land. These extra nutrients, which come from things like fertilizers and runoff, can cause lots of algae to grow. When the algae die, they use up oxygen and release carbon dioxide into the air. That is why pollution and fertilizers can make the carbon dioxide levels in our coastal waters go up, which is bad for the water systems nearby. How well an ecosystem can deal with acidification depends on things like how many local problems it has, such as too many nutrients, changes in temperature, or changes in how salty the water is. If we can reduce these local problems, some ecosystems might be better at handling the effects of ocean acidification. (R8)

 

One of our interview candidates, Martin Mohrmann, points out that this is one of the most pressing issues the oceans are facing today and that it negatively affects biodiversity, particularly calcareous species. This is something that Agnes Ytreberg also speaks about in her interview. Ytreberg explains that it can be challenging to understand changes in nutrient values, which can be complex and difficult to attribute to specific causes. When something in the food web changes, it can have ripple effects throughout the entire web. 

 

Rapid changes

• Present ocean acidification occurs approximately ten times faster than anything experienced during the last 300 million years, jeopardising the ability of ocean systems to adapt to changes in ocean chemistry due to CO2. (R6) When interviewing Mattias Obst we learned that since the start of the twentieth century, the number of species living on the Swedish West coast has halved. (R6)

 

The deadly trio

• Increased ocean temperatures and oxygen loss act concurrently with ocean acidification and constitute the ‘deadly trio’ of climate change pressures on the marine environment. To combat the worst effects of the deadly trio, CO2 emissions need to be cut significantly and immediately at the source. (R6)

 

Consequences 

• Ocean acidification has the potential to change marine ecosystems and impact many ocean-related benefits to society such as coastal protection or provision of food and income. (R6)

 

Some Good News

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Through the darkness, there are rays of light shining through. From newly implemented marine protected areas and international legislature to physical evidence which shows that some of the damage can still be undone, there is plenty of room for optimism. As Sir David Attenborough so eloquently puts it, “The ocean’s power of regeneration is remarkable – if we just offer it the chance.” (R7)

 

Over 190 Countries Have Signed Up to Protect 30% of the oceans By the Year 2030

• The Convention on Biological Diversity's COP15 in December 2022 saw more than 190 countries officially commit to safeguarding 30% of the world's land and ocean by 2030. This landmark pledge seeks to preserve critical ecosystems, minimize the danger of extinction, prioritize sustainable utilization of biodiversity, and secure financing and resources for areas most in need. Widely regarded as the most significant conservation promise to date, the '30x30' deal aims to protect both land and sea. (R7)

 

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It is Possible to Restore and Regrow Coral Reefs

• While every effort should be made to protect and prevent the loss of existing coral reefs, there is evidence to show that regrowing or restoring damaged coral is possible. Several initiatives, such as I.CARE in the USA, Coral Gardeners in French Polynesia, and Coral Vita in the Bahamas, are currently engaged in growing new coral, stabilizing and expanding existing populations, and raising awareness among local communities about the significance of coral reefs. (R7)

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More Sharks and Rays Are Protected Under CITES Than Ever Before

• During the 19th CITES conference in Panama, various parties who spoke on behalf of the diving industry agreed to raise the level of protection for sharks and rays traded internationally. As a result, approximately 90% of these species, as opposed to the previous 20%, are now subject to stricter regulations, including measures to protect sharks caught in commercial fisheries. All hammerhead, requiem, and guitarfish species are now included in CITES Appendix II, which requires controlled trade. (R7)

 

Real observations  

Many of our interview candidates talked about how the actions that have been taken to fight environmental changes actually do have a positive outcome. Anne Gunnäs explains how severe the state of the oceans differ in Sweden, and some parts are even getting better. Emmy Ahlen gave a strong example of how fast the ocean can recover when she explained the great improvements that could be seen with the human eye during the pandemic, for example, due to less boat activity.