Special Report on the Sea

The world’s oceans are changing—irrevocably in many cases, not always for the better, and often as a direct result of human impact—according to a series of nine articles that comprise “a special report on the sea” by the Economist.

The evidence is everywhere—from severely depleted fisheries, to widespread coral bleaching and the increasing incidence of red tides and other harmful algae blooms, to rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities and island nations.

Although human life depends on the sea to a large extent, we often abuse the sea as much as we use it, from dumping rubbish and raw sewage into its waters to destroying marine life, increasing ocean acidity, and contributing to global warming. Today, nations are vying with each other for control not only of the sea itself, but also of the ocean floor and the minerals buried beneath it.

Some of the changes now underway can be reversed or averted with focused action and targeted investments; others are not fully understood or may occur regardless of human intervention. Yet, doing nothing is not a viable option; the sea is simply too important to ignore.

Oceans cover more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface, and more than half of the global population lives within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the sea. Fish from the sea provide the main source of protein for more than a billion people worldwide, and more than 200 million depend on the ocean for their livelihoods.

In this special report, the Economist makes a compelling case that the sea is changing rapidly, and that we have a responsibility to learn as much as possible about those changes, to determine whether they can or should be mitigated, and to understand how they will affect the future of life on this planet.