They were joined by renowned ocean advocate Sylvia Earle and explorer Fabien Cousteau to commemorate the imminent liberation of the Global Ocean Assessmenta comprehensive report described at the event as “possibly the most important book on the ocean ever written.”
The 1,600-page assessment, which will be launched on World Ocean Day, June 8, is the result of more than five years of work by 550 experts from 86 countries, and provides a detailed overview of the growing pressures on the ocean and the actions needed to safeguard it.
Speaking at the event, Steven Hill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, said the assessment “reinforces a very clear message: science is indispensable.”
He said the report provides a foundation to “understand the profound changes that are underway, from climate-driven changes to biodiversity loss, and to shape effective action both locally and globally.”
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Steven Hill speaks at the preview launch of the Third Global Ocean Assessment at the Explorers Club in New York City.
What we still don’t know
Despite decades of progress, vast areas of the ocean, particularly the deep sea, remain poorly understood.
Sylvia Earle, the renowned veteran oceanographer, cautioned that the report also points out the scale of work that still needs to be done.
“The only thing that also needs to be done, and that will take up many volumes, is the magnitude of what we still don’t know,” he said.
Echoing Mark Twain’s famous quote, “What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. “It’s what we know for sure and it’s just not the case.” Earle said scientists now know much more than previous generations, but they must be aware of what is still unknown.
“We shouldn’t be too ambitious in thinking we have all the right answers,” he added.
Knowledge alone is not enough
“Knowledge alone is not enough,” Hill said. “We are at a time where ocean ecosystems are approaching critical thresholds, and where the decisions we make, based on the best available science, will determine the future of the ocean and the benefits it can provide.”
That knowledge must also be inclusive, he added, bringing together diverse disciplines, regions and perspectives, including those of indigenous peoples and local communities.
“At the end of the day, we are in a community and we all have to row in the same direction… the only way we get out of this is together,” Fabien Cousteau, an ocean advocate and grandson of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, said at the Explorers Club.
Stay with UN News for more special coverage of the Global Ocean Assessment ahead of its launch next week…
