The Blue Acceleration

What % of thermal energy does the ocean absorb?

The oceans have absorbed ~90% of the anthropogenically generated thermal energy.  

Give some human stressors that affect the oceans:

• Fishing 

• Shipping traffic 

• Invasive species 

• Climate change 

• Chemical pollution 

• Coastal erosion 

Give some stats about the human impacts on the oceans:

 

• 40% of the oceans are heavily impacted by human activity 

• 11m metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans annually 

• Fish consumption per year per head has doubled since the 1960s 

Define the Blue Economy:

All the activity that occurs in the oceans, including economic, social, and environmental.

Give some stats about the Blue Economy:

• The ocean is valued at US$1.5 trillion per year 

• 80% of global trade by volume is carried by the sea 

• 350m jobs are connected to fisheries 

• 34% of crude oil production comes from offshore fields 

Give some opportunities in the Blue Economy:

• Job creation 

• Financial opportunities e.g. investment 

• Increasing food security 

• Innovation opportunities in infrastructure and technology 

• Ecosystem services e.g. protection + restoration 

Give some risks of the Blue Economy:

• Economy being prioritised over sustainability + equity 

• Marginalised communities being ignored/exploited 

• Increased ocean conflict 

• Inequitable distribution of costs + benefits 

• Acceleration of unsustainable behaviour 

Give some barriers to those wanting to access the benefits of the Blue Economy:

• Power imbalance 

• Lack of capacity + knowledge 

• Governance issues 

Define polycentric governance:

Multiple decision-making centres with some degree of autonomy, which act in ways that take account of others, through cooperation, competition, conflict, and conflict resolution. 

Define marine protected areas:

Ocean spaces which protect certain species, ecosystems, or processes.  

These can improve fishing revenue due to fish breeding habitat protection + net migration, creating a "spillover effect" 

Define ecological baselines and how they’re found:

Essential to find how current behaviour is impacting ecosystems.  

Obtained by looking at historical records, palaeoecological data, and local knowledge. 

Describe the High Seas Treaty:

A legally binding instrument for marine biodiversity conservation in the high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction). 

In Sept. 2025, the 60^th state ratified it, so now in Jan 2026 it will be legally binding. This has taken 20 years of negotiation! 

Describe the issues with deep sea mining:

There is a huge global demand for rare minerals + metals for technology. To meet demands, many groups are considering deep sea mining. 

This risks habitat damage, noise pollution, coastal community damage, and long-term changes to the seabed, of which we have limited knowledge. 

Describe the International Seabed Authority:

Set up to "ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed related activities". 

They have accepted 31 exploration contracts so far and began accepting mining applications since 2023  

Give some key facts about the Seychelles blue economy:

• The Seychelles experienced huge debt after the 2008 crisis 

• They have an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1.37m km^2, compared to a land area of just 455km^2, so the marine environment is key to their prosperity 

Describe the Seychelles’ financial aid schemes:

• They've used a Blue Bonds plan to raise US$15m  

• SeyCCAT manages US$3m of this to boost sustainable management 

• Projects include artisanal fisheries, lobster habitat restoration and boosting blue economy entrepreneurs 

Give some was they’ve faced the challenges of the Seychelles financial aid schemes:

• Removing language barriers - the SeyCCAT application was translated into Creole 

• Multiple meetings and 1-1 visits with local communities, students, female entrepreneurs and more 

• Capacity building – preparing groups to apply for and manage funds took a lot of time