Scientists’ Warning of an Imperiled Ocean; 125 Scientists (and counting) Join Call to Action to Conserve and Restore Global Oceans

[Seattle, WA] To commemorate US National Ocean Month in June and UN World Oceans Day on June 8^th, Marine Conservation Institute announces a new scientific synthesis published in Biological Conservation detailing the causes of potentially irreversible declines in ocean health and marine wildlife along with a plea to take immediate action on climate change, ocean pollution, and destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling. In 2017, more than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries around the world issued a letter warning humanity against continued destruction of global ecosystems. Today, five years later and still facing significant environmental threats, scientists issue a similar warning focused on the ocean—our largest living ecosystem—and call on other scientists around the world to sign onto a similar letter to humanity to conserve and restore our oceans.

As of Friday, June 3^rd afternoon eastern, approximately 125 scientists have signed up to support this warning. Hundreds more are expected to sign a support statement leading up to June 8^th, World Oceans Day and many more during the rest of June, Oceans Month.

Dr. Sam Georgian, Marine Biogeographer at Marine Conservation Institute, said, “The cumulative and interactive effects of multiple stressors like ocean warming, overfishing, biodiversity loss, and habitat destruction are increasing rapidly in marine environments, causing an unprecedented threat to the ocean and our futures.”

Dr. Lance Morgan, President of Marine Conservation Institute, said, “Without an immediate and considerable change in course, the ocean will become significantly more degraded, less productive, and less resilient to climate change in coming decades.” He continued, “In turn this will cause profound and difficult-to-overcome hardships for humanity, especially the people who inhabit coastal areas of the world or depend on fish for their major source of protein or income.”

The co-authors of this new paper (Samuel Georgian, Sarah Hameed, Lance Morgan, Diva Amon, Rashid Sumaila, David Johns, and William Ripple) ask scientists all over the world to support the conclusions of this study and call on humanity to act urgently to protect and restore oceans and marine life. Support from scientists can be registered here [ https://act.marine-conservation.org/scientists-warning-of-imperiled-ocean/ ].