World Ocean Assessment highlights urgent need for science and global action

Key points

• They were joined by renowned ocean advocate Sylvia Earle and explorer Fabien Cousteau to mark the imminent release of the World Ocean Assessment, a sweeping report described at the event as “possibly the most important book about the ocean ever written”.
• Set to be launched on World Ocean Day, 8 June, the 1,600-page assessment is the result of more than five years of work by 550 experts from 86 countries, offering a detailed overview of the mounting pressures on the ocean and the action needed to safeguard it.
• Speaking at the event, Steven Hill, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs at the United Nations, said the assessment “reinforces a very clear message: science is indispensable”.
• He said the report provides a foundation for “understanding the profound changes that are underway, from climate-driven shifts to biodiversity loss, and for shaping effective action both at the local level, but also at the global...