An international study recently published in the journal Nature that was led by KAUST Professors Carlos Duarte and Susana Agustí lays out the essential road map of actions required for the planet’s marine life to recover to full abundance by 2050.
The project brings together the world’s leading marine scientists working across four continents, in 10 countries and from 16 universities, including KAUST, Aarhus University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Colorado State University, Boston University, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Sorbonne Universite, James Cook University, The University of Queensland, Dalhousie University and the University of York.
We are at a point where we can choose between a legacy of a resilient and vibrant ocean or an irreversibly disrupted ocean, said Duarte, KAUST professor of marine science and the Tarek Ahmed Juffali research chair in Red Sea ecology.
Our study documents recovery of marine populations, habitats and ecosystems following past conservation interventions. It provides specific, evidence-based recommendations to scale proven solutions globally, Duarte added.
Although humans have greatly altered marine life to its detriment in the past, the researchers found evidence of the remarkable resilience of marine life and an emerging shift from steep losses of life throughout the 20th century to a slowing down of losses and in some instances even recovery over the first two decades of the 21st century.
The evidence along with particularly spectacular cases of recovery, such as the example of humpback whales highlights that the abundance of marine life can be restored, enabling a more sustainable, ocean-based economy.
The review states that the recovery rate of marine life can be accelerated to achieve substantial recovery within two to three decades for most components of marine ecosystems, provided that climate change is tackled and efficient interventions are deployed at large scale.