Agenda 21, Chapter 17, Section E
Addressing critical uncertainties for the marine environment and climate change
Ian Milton
With the fact that global warming and the connected climate change now being thought of as a reality, research into the marine environment is needed more then ever. This is primarily for human safety (i.e. sea level rise) but also considers the effects, both known and potential, upon organisms. Institutes such as the UN have been going since the 1940’s but research into the marine environment only started properly in the 1960’s when people’s views were greener. Where-as Agenda 21 proposed many new directions to be taken in the other sections it only re-enforced the need of research and when it was written (1992) many scientists did not believe in global warming and so it was known as the potential threat. So, what is the current state of research in the world today? What, if anything do we need to do now?
In the UK and other countries of the UN, the research is mainly handled by IOC. Recently a new technical commission for oceanography and marine meteorology was formed aimed at providing a mandate to prepare both regulatory and guidance to member states relating to marine observing systems, data management and services.
The IOC itself was set up pre-agenda 21, but when agenda 21 did come out, the IOC took on the main research objectives of the marine habitat. It now focuses on promoting marine scientific investigations and related ocean services, with a view to learning more about the nature and resources of the oceans. With this in mind the IOC now has four themes, which are:
To develop, promote and aid international oceanographic research programmes leading to the improvement of our understanding of global and regional ocean processes and their relationship to the sustainable development and utilisation of ocean resources.
To ensure effective planning, establishment and co-ordination of an operational global ocean observing system to provide the information needed for oceanic and atmospheric forecasting.
To provide international leadership for education and training programmes and technical assistance essential for systematic observations of the global ocean and its coastal zone and related research.
To ensure that ocean data and information obtained through research, observation and monitoring are efficiently handled and made widely available.
As the IOC is the major source of research of the marine environment for the world I shall now going through the main areas of study that it focuses on.
This programme takes in to consideration research into all the organisms of the marine environment and has a dedicated programme for the assessment of harmful algal blooms. It still bases much of its research anthropocentrically in that more money, time etc goes towards the assessment of harmful algal blooms because of the possible damage they can cause to humans.
OSNLR The objectives for this programme are laid out distinctly on its website and are:
Assessment of the mineral and energy resources of the sea-floor and the coastal zone
Environmental evaluation of sound development and utilization of those resources
Conservation of the marine environment through study of sediments and sedimentary processes and assessment of natural and man induced changes affecting the sea-floor and the coastal zone
Strengthening of co-operation in marine geoscience and related research
Provision of training to improve the marine scientific research capabilities of all coastal states.
At the moment it is involved with three on-going projects; Coastal Change (anthropogenic and natural), Continental Margin Environment and Mineral Resources, and Deep Sea Processes and Mineral Resources.
Again the objectives for this programme are on its web page and are:
Authoritative evaluations of the state of the marine environment at both regional and global levels.
Identification of the requirements for measures to prevent, or correct, marine pollution.
Procedures for assessing and improving compliance and surveillance monitoring of conditions and effects in the marine environment.
GIPME itself focuses primarily on the coastal zone and shelf seas but also deal with the open ocean. Again, like OSLR this programme assesses the presence of contaminants and their effects on human health as the major, and the effects on marine ecosystems, and marine resources and amenities, both living and non-living come as minors.
To have efficient research especially into climate change we must have knowledge of the past and therefore IODE has been reviewing existing databases from the beginning in 1961, as in their words.
‘With the advance of oceanography from a science dealing mostly with local processes to one which is also studying ocean basin and global processes, researchers depend critically on the availability of an international exchange system to provide data and information from all available sources.’
Not only does the IODE review existing databases but they also do research themselves.
Through the programme classed under Operational observing systems programmes, ‘Global Ocean Observing System’ (GOOS) sub-regional, regional and global observing systems are now available.
This is where the three global observing systems for climate, ocean and land are organised as a continuous assessment of the marine environment. GOOS is a permanent, co-ordinated global system for gathering data about the oceans and seas of the Earth. It contains a system for processing such data, with other relevant data from other domains. GOOS will and does provide accurate descriptions of the present state of the oceans, including living resources; continuous forecasts of the future conditions of the sea for as far ahead as possible; and the basis for forecasts of climate change.
It objectives as stated on its website are:
To specify the marine observational data needed on a continuing basis to meet the needs of the world community of users of the oceanic environment.
To develop and implement an internationally co-ordinated strategy for the gathering, acquisition and exchange of these data.
To facilitate the development of uses and products of these data, and encourage and widen their application in use and protection of the marine environment.
To facilitate means by which less-developed nations can increase their capacity to acquire and use marine data according to the GOOS framework.
To co-ordinate the ongoing operations of GOOS and ensure its integration within wider global observational and environmental management strategies.
To achieve there own set objectives they utilised existing systems and pilot projects and now have 60 countries involved in GOOS.
TEMA provides the opportunity for all countries to cooperate in obtaining sufficient knowledge to understand, predict and manage wisely the oceans, seas and their resources. As to get the complete ‘picture’ of the marine environment all countries must be able to do there own research up to a sufficient level where upon the information is comparable.
They have found that capacity building is the best way of doing this and is the building of necessary resources for ocean data and information management and is done by:
Group training courses and workshops.
Individual Internships in data centres of the IODE system.
Expert and advisory missions to Member States.
Provision of equipment and operational support.
The Future…. Problems?
One of the main sources of error is in developing countries where their technology and know-how is not comparable with the research that occurs in the developed countries. TEMA is trying to alleviate this, but must be careful as our technologies are improving at a greater rate then we can train, help developing countries. Therefore we either need to not use the newer technologies ourselves or accept the fact that we will never know the full ‘picture’ of the marine environment. Another way is to put more money into TEMA and associated programmes for capacity building of developing countries and less into technology research until with have all reached the required level.
