There is simply no exaggerating the importance of the oceans to earth’s overall ecological balance. Their health affects the health of all terrestrial life. A new report by an international coalition of marine scientists, International Earth system expert workshop on ocean stresses and impacts, concludes that the oceans are approaching irreversible, potentially catastrophic, change. The experts, convened by the International Program on the State of the Ocean and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, found that marine “degradation is now happening at a faster rate than predicted.” 
The oceans have warmed and become more acidic as they absorbed human-generated carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They are also more oxygen-deprived, because of agricultural runoff and other anthropogenic causes. And, according to the report, these three conditions were present in previous mass extinctions. The oceans’ natural resilience has been seriously compromised. Pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing are themselves dangerous threats. But when these factors converge, they destroy marine ecosystems. The severity of human impact was reinforced last week when scientists concluded that seven commercially important species, including marlin, mackerel, and three tuna species, were either vulnerable to extinction, endangered, or critically endangered according to I.U.C.N. standards. The solutions that might help slow further degradation include immediate reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a system of marine conservation areas, and a way to protect ocean life that goes beyond national jurisdictions. As the new study notes, changes in the oceans, caused by carbon emissions, are perhaps “the most significant to the earth system,” particularly because they will further accelerate climate change.
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