Marine Anthropocene Flashcards
(17 cards)
How is food production contributing to the Marine Anthropocene?
Food:
- Fishing moving further offshore & deeper
- New marine food products (e.g., nutraceuticals) emerging
- Mesopelagic fish (deep-sea species) being considered for harvest
How is ocean space being increasingly used and contested in the Marine Anthropocene?
- Ocean space use intensifying → competition between sectors
- Food & materials: fishing, aquaculture, mining
Other claims:
- Energy infrastructure (e.g., offshore wind)
- Communication cables
- Shipping lanes
- Marine conservation zones
Result: increasingly crowded ocean, rising spatial conflicts
How is material extraction shaping the Marine Anthropocene?
- Global material use set to nearly double (2017: 89 Gt → 2060: 167 Gt)
- Ocean sources: sand & gravel for construction (aggregates)
- Offshore oil & gas = ~1/3 of ocean economy
- Deep-sea mining for metals (cobalt, nickel, etc.) needed for green tech
- Poses major risks to fragile deep-sea ecosystems
What does the concept of ‘spatial squeeze’ reveal about marine policy?
- Example: Irish Sea shows dense overlap of legally permitted marine activities
- Highlights complexity of competing claims on small ocean areas
- ‘Spatial squeeze’ = limited marine space with growing, conflicting demands
- Common issue in marine policy discussions → need for integrated management
What is the Blue Acceleration, and why is it significant?
- Mirrors “Great Acceleration” (post-1950 human impact surge)
- Since 2000: rapid economic expansion into oceans
- Includes: fishing, offshore wind, deep-sea mining, aquaculture, tourism, etc.
- Overlapping industrial claims → rising pressure on marine ecosystems
- Highlights urgency for marine governance & sustainability
What are the key features and impacts of economic expansion into the oceans during the Blue Acceleration?
- Expansion of ocean claims for food, materials, and space
- Sharpest growth since early 2000s
- Includes both renewable (e.g. wind, fish) & non-renewable (e.g. oil, minerals) extraction
- Activities: mobile (e.g. fishing, shipping) & stationary (e.g. rigs, turbines)
- Claims can interact: synergistically, antagonistically, or additively
- Increases pressure on marine ecosystems
= Pushes Earth System closer to planetary boundaries
What did satellite analysis (2017–2021) reveal about ocean industrialisation?
- Exposed hidden industrial activity in oceans
- Much ocean expansion invisible to public view, unlike land-based development
- Reveals scale of Blue Acceleration → offshore infrastructure, vessels, extractive industries
- Highlights lack of transparency & monitoring in marine industrialisation
What is Marine Land System Change, and why is it a key planetary boundary?
- Involves loss/degradation of coastal habitats: mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes
- These are major carbon sinks (blue carbon)
- Habitat loss releases large amounts of carbon - on par with deforestation
- Decreases surface reflectivity (albedo) → more sunlight absorbed = warmer local climate
What does **Biosphere Integrity **mean in the context of marine planetary boundaries?
- Core boundary: reflects species diversity & ecosystem functioning
- Loss of marine biodiversity weakens ecosystem resilience
- Potential to adapt Biosphere Intactness Index (BII) for oceans
- Fisheries use indicators like functional diversity & size-based metrics
- Essential for maintaining ocean health & regulating Earth System stability
What is Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity (HANPP) in marine contexts?
- HANPP = measure of how much net primary productivity (NPP) humans use
- Oceans produce ~50% of Earth’s global NPP
- Large share of marine productivity appropriated by fisheries
- High HANPP can reduce energy available to other species → affects ecosystem health
Who are the winners and losers in the Blue Acceleration, and what does this mean for equitability?
- Winners: wealthy countries, large corporations → reap most benefits
- Losers: developing nations, local communities → bear environmental & social costs
- Small Island Developing States (SIDS): large marine zones but limited capacity to benefit
- Landlocked countries: excluded from marine resource benefits altogether
- Raises issues of equity, justice, and fair access in ocean governance
What is seabed grabbing and how do countries expand their ocean territories?
- Countries claim vast seabed areas using tiny or uninhabited islands
- Example: Australia claims 2.5 million km² via uninhabited islands
- UK expands ocean territory significantly through overseas territories
- Strategy increases national access to marine resources and economic zones
- Raises geopolitical and governance challenges over ocean space
What role do corporations play in the ocean economy?
- “Ocean 100” companies generate 60% of total ocean economy revenue
- Most headquartered in a few countries: US, China, Saudi Arabia, Norway, UK, France
- Includes industries like shipping, fishing, offshore oil & gas, and deep-sea mining
Concentration of economic power raises concerns about market control, resource access, and environmental accountability
What are the key challenges in global ocean governance?
- UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) provides legal framework but struggles to balance economic development with marine conservation
- SDG 14 (Life Below Water) often ranks lowest in prioritycompared to other SDGs like poverty or climate action
- Governance in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) is fragmented due to multiple stakeholders and lack of clear authority
- Weak enforcement mechanisms limit effective protection of marine biodiversity
What are the challenges and opportunities related to Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)?
ABNJ = areas beyond 200 nautical miles from coastlines, cover ~40% of Earth’s surface (~370 km offshore)
- Home to unique and vulnerable ecosystems with largely unknown biodiversity
- UN BBNJ Treaty (2023) seeks to regulate marine genetic resources, establish marine protected areas, and ensure environmental impact assessments
- Ongoing debate: Will commercial exploitation (e.g., deep-sea mining, fishing) increase global inequalities or support sustainable development, especially for poorer nations?
How could the ocean be managed as a global commons?
- Propose shared scientific platforms for collaborative ocean research, similar to the International Space Station
Emphasize conservation-first policies in ABNJ to:
- Enhance climate resilience by protecting carbon sinks and ecosystems
- Support coastal fisheries vital for food security and livelihoods
- Aid developing nations by sharing benefits of marine resources fairly
Encourages global cooperation beyond national interests
What does the “Rights of Nature” approach propose for ocean governance?
- Recognize oceans as living entities with legal rights to exist, flourish, and regenerate
- Moves beyond viewing oceans as mere resource pools for human extraction
- Legal frameworks could allow enforcement of ocean protection through rights-based lawsuits
- Could foster more equitable and sustainable stewardship, balancing environmental and social needs
