Ocean and Coastal Observations

About

The Global Environment Monitoring Services for the Ocean and Coasts (GEMS Ocean) Programme is a transdisciplinary partnership convened by UNEP. GEMS Ocean focuses on integrating global observation systems to provide fit-for-purpose information and data to its member states and regional bodies for the conservation, restoration, and management of coastal and marine ecosystems. The UN Ocean Decade secretariat endorsed GEMS Ocean as an official programme of the UN Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Ecological status and trends

The ocean sustains life on our planet and controls the climate system at large. It is the greatest ecosystem in the entire globe, supporting around a million recognized species and offering tremendous untapped potential for scientific research. An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic garbage are dumped into the oceans each year. Coral reefs and other important ecosystems are being harmed by climate change, overfishing is endangering fish stocks, nutrient pollution is causing dead zones to form, and about 80% of the world's wastewater is discharged untreated. Numerous oceanic processes are changing due to global warming, which is also endangering numerous marine animal species that cannot withstand higher temperatures. Continued ocean warming, exacerbated by ocean acidification and other factors, is projected to lead to corals and other ecosystems essential for biodiversity and food and livelihood for millions of people disappearing.

Why Does it Matter?

Ocean observation is essential for a better understanding of how society and all life on earth are affected by climate change. The information gathered is invaluable to policymakers and individual nations, guiding them to make changes at a global, regional, and local level. Ocean and coastal Monitoring and observation is an important tool as it helps allow coastal communities to reduce their negative climate impact, clean up their shores, and protect local economies, tourism, fishing, and overall human health Ocean observation also helps us to predict and come up with solutions to potential ocean and coastal related disasters.

What We Do?

In order to improve conservation, management, and sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources, GEMS Ocean strives to solve problems such as coastal erosion, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, pollution seas, habitat degradation, and overfishing, among others, in a more effective, convincing, and meaningful way. The Source to Sea System (S2S), is a biophysical continuum that includes the land area drained by a river system, its lakes and tributaries (watersheds), connected aquifers, and downstream receiving areas such as deltas and estuaries, coasts, and coastal areas. Special attention will be given to seas, adjacent seas, and continental shelves as well as the open ocean. Additional emphasis on air-sea interactions will be added to land-sea interactions.

GEMS Ocean Programme seeks to accomplish this by addressing challenges prioritized in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade). This aligns with the overall goal of the SDG on the ocean and its resources (SDG 14 "Life below water") and SDG 17 ‘’Partnership for the goals’ in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Ocean Decade Action implementation framework has so far prioritized ten (10) of the urgent problems that must be overcome to realize the vision of the Ocean Decade.: GEMS Ocean Programme initiatives focuses on challenge Seven and Eight;

Challenge 7: Ensure a sustainable ocean observing system across all ocean basins that delivers accessible, timely, and actionable data and information to all users.
Challenge 8: Through multi-stakeholder collaboration, develop a comprehensive digital representation of the ocean, including a dynamic ocean map, which provides free and open access for exploring, discovering, and visualizing past, current, and future ocean conditions in a manner relevant to diverse stakeholders.

We are also currently working in collaboration with partners such as (MOI), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), World Resources Institute(WRI), Global Resource Information Center (GRID) of Geneva and GRID of Arendal, G7 Future of the Oceans and Seas Initiative (FSOI) and Future earth, WCMC, GOOS in order to move towards a sustainable governing and policy-making of Marine and coastal ecosystems.

Where necessary, include governance (UNEA resolutions, UNGA resolutions etc)

The following resolutions, along with GEMS Ocean's role in the foundational science-policy subprogramme of UNEP's Medium-Term Strategy 2022-2025, provide the framework and mandate for the GEMS Ocean Programme.

UNEP/EA.2/Res.10: Oceans and seas

Facts

Society now depends on the ocean more than at any time before. It is a vital source of nourishment, supporting directly the livelihood of about 500 million people, especially in the poorest nations. Ocean economies are among the most rapidly growing and promising in the world, providing benefits to many sectors of great economic value, such as fisheries, transport, biotechnologies, energy production, seabed resources exploration, tourism and many others.

Oceans are facing multiple environmental stressors (climate change, marine pollution, ocean acidification) engendered by these human activities and resulting in the loss of marine species and degradation of marine and coastal environments. As reported in the First World Ocean Assessment, we assist to a cycle of decline in the ocean health, with changes and losses in the structure and function of the Ocean that challenge the benefits obtained from marine systems. Over the coming decades, a changing climate, growing global population, and increased environmental stressors will have significant yet highly uncertain impacts on food security and human well fare.

Adaptation strategies and science-informed policy responses to global change are urgently needed.