The ocean emergency and why the world must act now

The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) just ended a five-day gathering in Nice, France of scientists, heads of state, conservationists, and business leaders to answer one question: can humanity still save the ocean — and in turn, itself?

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"The ocean is facing an unprecedented crisis due to climate change, plastic pollution, ecosystem loss, and the overuse of marine resources," said Li Junhua, the UN undersecretary-general for Economic and Social Affairs, who is also serving as secretary-general of the event.

Oceans are warming at record rates, absorbing over 90 percent of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions. Coral reefs — which sustain a quarter of all marine species — are "vanishing before our eyes, and their collapse could unleash cascading effects on biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience," the UN website said.

Plastic pollution is now so pervasive that up to 12 million metric tons of plastic enter our seas each year, the equivalent of a garbage truck dumped every minute. And fish stocks are collapsing, threatening food security for over three billion people who depend on marine biodiversity for survival.