In the absence of a full fledged UN treaty on ocean sustainability and marine life leaders of 14 countries that accounts for 40% of the world’s coastline set out five transformative commitments today on ocean wealth, health, equity, knowledge and finance. Over the next 10 years these countries have pledged to restore marine and coastal ecosystems, reduce ocean plastic pollution and minimise ocean dead zones, promote equal opportunities for all to benefit from the ocean, build ocean literacy and skills, harness ocean science, technology and data. A key platform for these commitments is to build collective understanding and knowledge of ocean sustainability, ecosystem services and functions, and ensure that science underpins decision-making for building a sustainable ocean economy.
The Ocean Panel report can be read here, or watch this video
Dr Siva Thambisetty is one of 250 ocean experts from 48 countries who contributed to the peer-reviewed work of the Ocean Panel and a co-author of Blue Paper 4 on The Ocean Genome: Conservation and the Fair, Equitable and Sustainable Use of Marine Genetic Resources. You can read the associated Nature paper here.
You can also view this webinar launching the Ocean Genome report on April 24th 2020. It showcases the inter-disciplinary, peer-reviewed and science-based approach and Dr Siva Thambisetty’s contribution.