A chapter written by Julien Rochette in the book The Ocean Revealed, published by CNRS Publishing, edited by Agathe Euzen, Françoise Gaill, Denis Lacroix and Philippe Cury.
Book presentation:
The ocean conducts the symphony of life on Earth. It covers over 70% of the surface of our planet, regulates the global climate and houses much of the unexplored biosphere. The health of the ocean has become a crucial issue for the world’s climate. One of the aims of this work, written by French scientists, is to help make readers fully aware of its importance. When it comes to global change, greenhouse gas emissions from human activities have numerous impacts. These go further than just ocean warming, also including acidification of sea waters and biodiversity loss… For this reason, contributing specifically to the 14th of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, will help us progress towards all the others. The aim of this work is therefore to improve understanding and knowledge of the ocean, its functions and services, its riches and its fragility. We hope to create widespread awareness of the current threats to the ocean and its instrumental role in the survival of living organisms and human societies.
