COP23 OCEANS IN CRISIS PART 1

Science and Oceans: IPCC Report and Other Developments

Margareth S. Copertino, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG); Hans-Otto Pörtner, Alfred Wegener Institute; Suchana Chavanich, Thailand; Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory; Françoise Gaill, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Vladimir Ryabinin, UNESCO; Lisa Levin, Distinguished Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Phillip Williamson, University of East Anglia; and Jay Manning, International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification.

Dr Carol Turley OBE presented an update on ocean acidification and its significant impacts on the planet. According to the latest research, even the NDCs pledged so far will still cause a VERY HIGH RISK to marine ecosystems such as warm water coral reefs, and shows clearly that we need to stop putting CO₂ in the atmosphere and to start removing it. On the Great Barrier Reef there has been back to back bleaching over the last 2 years that has resulted in the death of 50% of the corals on the reef.

New studies reveal that the ocean is STILL WARMING at all depths and that acidification and deoxygenation is occurring FASTER in some regions than expected. The session focused on how new/coordinated/aligned marine research can support ambitious measures in NDCs to limit warming to below 1,5C.