Marine ecosystems

[ SDG Target 14.2 ] By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

Marine and coastal ecosystems provide many services to human society, including food and other goods, shoreline protection, water quality maintenance, waste treatment, support of tourism and other cultural benefits, and maintenance of the basic global life support systems.

The provision of these services is threatened by the worldwide degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems. Fisheries are in global decline. Coastal habitats have been modified and lost, and in many cases the rate of degradation is increasing. Habitat loss and modification result in a loss of ecosystem services and also threaten biodiversity (UNEP, 2006, p. 7).

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More than 80% of Indian Ocean dolphins may have been killed by commercial fishing, study finds

04 Mar 2020 - An estimated 4m small cetaceans caught as by-catch in commercial tuna fishing nets since 1950, researchers say.

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Climate change and oceans in flux: How local responses in Mexico are stemming the tide of an invasive seaweed

7 Jan 2019 - Ocean warming leads to more sargassum blooms. Caribbean countries dependent on tourism and fisheries are losing visitors marine life to this invasive weed.

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Technology and tradition help restore Timor’s mangrove forests

6 Jan 2019 - Community involvement has been key to the success of a four-year program revitalising ecosystems central to defending against climate change and sustaining livelihoods.

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Latest

Oceans can be restored to former glory within 30 years, say scientists

2 Apr 2020 - The Guardian - Major review reports recovery of marine life but a redoubling of efforts is still needed.

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Great Barrier Reef suffers third mass bleaching in five years

1 Apr 2020 - Warmer sea temperatures - particularly in February - are feared to have caused huge coral loss across the world's largest reef system. Scientists say they have detected widespread bleaching, including extensive patches of severe damage. But they have also found healthy pockets.

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How noise pollution threatens ocean life

27 Mar 2020 - Noise pollution has led to multiple whale-strandings and poses a threat to thousands of ocean creatures.

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Applying the hard lessons of coronavirus to the biodiversity crisis

26 Mar 2020 - 2020 was supposed to be a ‘Super Year for Nature,’ with a number of global meetings including the UN Ocean Conference. But the virus has lessons that apply to the global crises of biodiversity loss.

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Research shows mangrove conservation can pay for itself in flood protection

17 Apr 2020 - The natural coastal defenses provided by mangrove forests reduce annual flooding significantly in critical hotspots around the world.

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The oceans are on the brink. Here are 3 ways to save them

20 Feb 2020 - Humanity is pushing the world’s oceans to the brink. But as grave as the situation is, experts say there is reason for hope.

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Harnessing the Power of the Ocean Data Revolution

10 Feb 2020 - In this era of upheaval in the ocean, driven by climate change and other stressors, technological innovations offer a flood of new data and new capabilities for translating i

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Backyard wildcats

2 Jan 2020 - Loss of wetlands has forced locally endangered fishing cats in Sri Lanka to move into the city, looking for food and survival.

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Is 'super coral' the key to saving the world's reefs?

27 Dec 2019 - BBC News - Scientists in the Seychelles have started the world's first large-scale coral reef restoration project to help stop the impact of rising sea temperatures.

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Saving coral reefs from a changing climate future

19 Dec 2019 - UNDP and partners launch regional coral restoration project in Mauritius and Seychelles, in partnership with the governments of Mauritius and Seychelles to restore coral reef

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