“HOW inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean”. That quote, usually attributed to Arthur C. Clarke, pops up regularly at ocean science conferences, but is no less true for being a cliché. The ocean covers 71 per cent of the planet’s surface and makes up 95 per cent of the area that is habitable by life.
Increasingly, it is being exploited by us. As our special report on what has been termed the “blue acceleration” details (see page 38), over the past 20 years, the ocean economy – fish, ships, hydrocarbons, wind energy, cables, tourism and more – has grown explosively. This trend is forecast to continue and the ocean is already feeling the strain. We are at risk of repeating the mistakes of our unsustainable…
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New Scientist (Digital) - 1 Issue, 23-Apr-22