A healthy ocean forms the basis for much of what shapes our lives. It supplies us with oxygen and food and provides a habitat for countless species—but above all, it acts as a buffer against climate change by absorbing large amounts of CO2 and excess heat. But the ocean is in bad shape. Pollution, acidification, overfishing, and increasing warming are damaging it and impairing its ability to stabilize the climate. In order to maintain the ocean as a climate partner, it is therefore important to monitor its condition as comprehensively and well-coordinated as possible.
Gaps in Ocean Observation: Technological and Financial Deficits
The members of the EU project EuroSea have taken a close look at ocean observation in Europe. In their two recently published reports, “Urgent gaps and recommendations to implement during the UN Ocean Decade” and “Towards a sustained and fit-for-purpose European ocean observing and forecasting system,” the most serious gaps in the monitoring of marine biodiversity, invasive species, and ocean phenomena such as warming and sea level rise are identified. Many of these gaps are caused by technological deficiencies or insufficient funding.
“We urgently need more sustainable and effective ocean observation to track changes in the state of the oceans and mitigate the effects of climate change,” says Dr. Toste Tanhua, a chemical oceanographer at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and head of the now completed EuroSea project, from which the two reports emerged. He is himself attending the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, which begins today and will lend his voice to the topic of ocean observation at the international level. In the Ocean Pavilion, in which GEOMAR is participating as a partner this year, he will be on a panel discussing the involvement of non-scientific actors, such as sailors, in ocean observation.
In their position papers, the scientists emphasize the need to improve data collection, use innovative technologies such as environmental DNA and more autonomous devices, and strengthen international cooperation. Particular emphasis is placed on promoting long-term funding and creating central coordination points to ensure the effectiveness of marine observation in the long term.
“The recommendations we have developed together are aimed at the scientific community as well as at political decision-makers and industry,” says Dr. Tanhua. “The challenges are great, but the solutions we propose offer clear approaches to action. We need to generate as much information as possible in order to better understand and protect marine ecosystems. This is a very important building block in efforts to mitigate the climate crisis. Although observation alone does not reduce the effects of climate change, it does enable us to understand and propose appropriate measures. After all, you can only manage what you can measure.”
Recommended Measures to Improve Ocean Observation
For example, it is recommended that comprehensive programs be developed to monitor marine biodiversity. In particular, the use of innovative technologies such as environmental DNA (eDNA) could help to identify invasive species at an early stage and improve data collection.
The use of autonomous equipment (e.g., Argo floats and sensors) should be increased to validate data from satellites and improve observation of the deep ocean. This is particularly important for hard-to-reach, extremely cold regions.
Furthermore, uniform methods for monitoring eutrophication indicators such as nutrient concentrations and oxygen levels should be developed in order to better monitor and reduce the negative impacts of human activities on the marine environment.
The use of autonomous sensors should be encouraged, especially in areas with high nutrient input. These systems enable continuous monitoring of algal blooms and ocean acidification.
Recommendations for the Coordination and Management of Ocean Observation
Increased cooperation between different countries and actors is recommended to harmonize monitoring strategies and facilitate data sharing. Coordination requires a responsible body responsible for the management and strategic planning of ocean observation activities. This structure would promote efficiency and facilitate cross-country and cross-disciplinary cooperation.
To ensure that ocean observation systems operate sustainably and can be continuously updated, a funding strategy for long-term observation programs should be developed. “Our research funding structures support—quite rightly—the generation of knowledge, but not monitoring,” explains Dr. Abed El Rahman Hassoun, lead author of the first position paper. “To close this gap, we would need cross-sectoral cooperation and co-financing between different ministries. This is a problem that we see not only in Germany but also in other EU countries.”
