UKOA scientist urges protection of the oceans through G7 statement

01 May 2015

The G7 academies' statement on the future of the oceans was launched yesterday, with expert input from UKOA Knowledge Exchange Co-ordinator Dr Carol Turley.

The statement was launched in Berlin at a conference as one of three statements which were drawn up by the seven national academies under the aegis of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and presented to Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

The 'Future of the oceans' statement concerned marine pollution by heavy metals and plastic waste. Particularly pressing issues in the statement included the acidification and warming of the ocean due to climate change, and over-fertilisation from nitrogen used in agriculture. The G7 academies call for (1) changing the course of nations’ CO₂ emissions, (2) reducing and further regulating man‐made pollution of the sea, (3) ending overfishing and preserving marine biodiversity and ecosystem function through research‐based management, and (4) enhancing international scientific cooperation to better predict, manage and mitigate future changes in the ocean and their impacts on human societies and the environment.

Dr Carol Turley commented: “It was a pleasure contributing to drafting this important statement from the G7 academies which was presented to the Chancellor Angela Merkel on 30 April. We are hoping this will inform the G7 communique coming out of the G7 political summit in June. It’s also good to see the Ocean as one of the three major issues chosen to be highlighted by the academies”.