Life on earth greatly depends on open oceans that comprise 99 percent of all habitable regions on the planet. These areas provide nearly 80 percent of fish supplies for human consumption. They also ‘carry out half the photosynthesis (conversion of solar energy to sustain life) that takes place on the planet and, through their ability to absorb CO2, are a dominant influence over the speed and extent of climate change.’ Yet, the high seas known as pelagic ecosystems are among the least protected.

As a result of this urgent imperative, ‘an international team of scientists has called for the creation of marine protected areas in the open oceans to protect the world’s sea life from growing damage and loss caused by overexploitation, pollution and other human impacts.’

According to a research published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution (TREE), “Pelagic ecosystems now face a multitude of threats including overfishing, pollution, climate change, eutrophication, mining, and species introductions. Mobile pelagic species also suffer from the cumulative impact of sublethal stressors. Chronic exposure to chemical and acoustic pollution from shipping, military activities, or oil and gas exploration and exploitation can lead to immunosuppression and reproductive failure in marine mammals.”

Taken as a collective risk to the oceans, this ‘multitude of threats’ causes further, greater, and ultimate negative impact on marine food chains, fish stocks, and ecosystems.

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Via SciNews