Keeping an Eye on the World's Oceans

Keeping a watchful eye on the world's oceans Improved ocean monitoring is “vital” says Tony Haymet, chairman of POGO, or the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans.

With pollution, overfishing, and warming seas all effecting the oceans of the world, a comprehensive strategy and system for monitoring them is essential for effectively responding to potential threats.

A delegation of POGO scientists plan to make their case at the annual meeting of the International Group on Earth Observations (GEO) this coming Friday in Cape Town, South Africa.

The idea to design and implement a global ocean observing system was conceived over two decades ago, but to date the system is less than half complete. But the concept is proven and scientists from POGO now stress the urgency of completing the system within the next ten years.

The full cost of such a system is estimated to cost between 2 and 3 billion dollars (what is that, a month or so of funding for the war in Iraq? But I digress…) and will include a network of satellites, fixed monitoring stations, tagging of marine animals, robot submarines, and manned research vessels.

With such a system in place, a wide range of benefits becomes possible, from comprehensive diagnosis of ocean conditions, improved forecasting of storms and hurricanes, and long-term projection of the effects of warming waters on coastal and marine ecosystems.

It’s is time to finish the job and get a system for monitoring the health of our oceans fully in place. To wait any longer is, in my opinion, a fool’s errand.

Sources and Further Reading:
BBC News
Independent Online