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This section will help you better understand marine biodiversity, its importance for Humans & Earth and the various threats facing this precious ecosystem.
The health of the ocean is now severely threatened. According to IPBES, many marine ecosystems worldwide have been overexploited and degraded by human activities. In September 2024, the "Planetary Health Check" highlighted the imminent crossing of a seventh planetary boundary: the ocean acidification threshold.
It's time for us to take collective action!
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Life emerged on Earth in the Oceans around 3.8 billion years ago. Today, oceans cover 71% of the planet's surface and host a complex biodiversity that remains largely unknown due to limited research. Nearly 25% of existing species on Earth are marine, with fewer than 280,000 species currently identified (13% of all documented species worldwide).
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defined biodiversity in 1992 as “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, among others, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part.”
Marine biodiversity encompasses all marine living organisms, the ecosystems in which they evolve, and the interactions between them and their environments. It unfolds across various environments (coral reefs, estuaries, shallow waters, deep-sea trenches), making it a complex subject to study.
Marine biodiversity plays a fundamental role in supporting life on Earth, providing essential services that benefit humanity directly and indirectly. Understanding these services is crucial to appreciate the full value of ocean ecosystems and to recognize the urgent need to protect them.
Source includes NOAA & Copernicus