A Blue Planet: Let’s Talk About the Oceans

As Menton students, there is one constant in our lives: the Mediterranean Sea. We go to class, we see it, we party, we see it, we work in the library, we see it, we go to the beach for a swim, well, we’re in it. The Mediterranean is the highlight of our days more often than not. But what do we know about its ecosystem and the risks it faces less than 200 meters from where we live?

When one is talking about the environment, our first thought is often about land, animals, forests or pollution. This is quite reasonable since those are the parts of our planet that we are most in contact with and are able to capture our attention on a global scale. We have witnessed it recently with the gigantic fires that engulfed the city of Los Angeles in January 2025, turning everything to ashes in its wake.

However, today, I would like us to explore a quieter part of our planet. A part that we rarely think about but is as vibrant and important in the fight against climate change as the rest of our world: the oceans. Bodies of water represent 72% of our planet, as well as half of the oxygen we breathe every day. They produce 15% of the animal protein we consume, regulate the temperature of the planet and absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), making our air breathable. They are vital to our survival as well as the survival of all species.

Yet we know very little about them, as 80% of the oceans remain unknown to humans and some claim that we have more knowledge about the moon’s surface than about the ocean. Like the rest of our planet, oceans are affected by climate change. They are slowly getting hotter and are, as a result, less efficient in their task of regulating the earth's temperatures. They are getting more polluted and more acidic, and marine and coastal ecosystems are victims of overexploitation and are unable to renew their resources. One of the main problems is that, as for every climate change-related issue, all these variables are connected. Indeed, oceans absorb carbon dioxide and regulate our planet's temperature. However, as they absorb more and more CO2 and the temperatures get warmer, the oceans also become more acidic and are less efficient in their absorption of CO2. Moreover, the warming of the ocean, while nice for a dive in the middle of the winter, has tragic effects on sea organisms desperately needing cool water to survive. The combination of decades of overfishing and the decrease in fish’ survival rates are crisis factors that are also linked to the oceans because we are trying to fish more each year while the populations are not able to keep up with our consumption. Indeed, according to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2020 more than 25% of the fish population was overfished.

To sum up, the situation of the oceans is as dire as its emerged counterpart and actions must be taken to protect them. Diverse activists, NGOs and foundations work on it, trying to be heard by decision-makers. 

Next June, the United Nations Convention for the Ocean (UNCO) will be hosted by Costa Rica and France and will happen in Nice. It is only the third convention of this type and will be similar to the Conference of the Parties (COP), a place for exchange between countries, NGOs and scientists. The conference will be held from the 9th of June to the 13th, providing a place to discuss ocean-related issues such as the development of marine protected areas, the protection of ocean floors against deep mining as well as the protection of marine biodiversity in international waters.

One of the main goals of the conference is for the “high seas treaty” to be ratified before its grand opening. This treaty is a text promulgated by the UN that wishes to protect international waters’ biodiversity, of which 1% are currently protected, by creating important Marine Protection Areas (MPA) all over the world. This text aims to protect at least 30% of the oceans’ surface.

However, as of now, only seventeen countries have ratified the treaty, which is 43 countries short of the necessary 60 to have it transformed into formal international law. In the context of climate change and the latest revelations that we are already over the 1.5-degree threshold that was indicated as a clear limit in 2015 during COP21, marine environments, now more than ever, need to be protected. Nevertheless, this protection seems unlikely, as countries and companies do not cease exploiting our planet. Deep sea mining, for example, is the latest initiative to gain access to resources, such as copper, nickel, cobalt and manganese, that are necessary for technological production and are becoming rarer in traditional mines. However, the extraction of metals in zones that are often thousands of meters deep under the surface of the water and have never seen the faintest trace of humanity will have an impact on ecosystems and biodiversity that are among the purest (by which I mean they have not been damaged by humans’ action) in the world.

Moreover, similar to the COP, many are wondering about the efficiency of these new initiatives, especially after the second withdrawal of the United States of America from the Paris Agreement following Donald Trump’s investiture. The latest COP has been unsatisfactory and who is to say that we will get better results with yet another instance of simple discussions with no concrete action? Multilateralism and collaboration against climate change on an international scale seem more fragile than ever, and it does not seem like we are getting any closer to efficient measures.

However, this does not mean that we are powerless since individuals, as a group, have power. We can work for ocean protection on different scales. May it be respecting the sea and its ecosystems by disposing of your waste and cigarette butts at the beach, signing petitions or working with associations. I am a firm believer that when the situation seems desperate, we have to take action one step at a time. Actions, as small as they can seem, can have an important impact. The “look down action” for example, rallied activists from all over the world to oppose a deep sea mining project in Norway and won. This shows us once again that activism has results, if enough people put pressure on government officials and companies.

So next time you feel anxious about climate change, I recommend taking a deep breath, looking at the sea and letting yourself be engulfed by its infinity. Wait a bit in the silence of the waves and then call a fellow ecologist to resume working together. This is now our only path forward.

Photo credits: Pedro Meerbaum