Doha: The report stressed that marine life is coming under severe pressure, as reflected in the nearly 80 percent decline of coral reefs in the Caribbean since the 1970s. It warned that 90 percent of the world's coral reefs could disappear if warming exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Meanwhile, vital coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass meadows continue to shrink, while species ranging from plankton to marine mammals are on the march toward the Arctic and Antarctic as temperatures rise. At the same time, non-native species are spreading more easily under changing environmental conditions.

According to Qatar News Agency, the study outlined that marine pollution is likewise on the march. Every year, 52 million tons of plastic waste enter the oceans, contributing to the formation of an estimated 24 trillion microplastic particles and affecting more than 4,000 marine species. Marine food systems remain a vital source of nutrition and livelihoods, providing 20 percent of the animal protein consumed by humans worldwide.

In this regard, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said what matters most is the global cooperation to protect marine ecosystems, stressing that humanity must forge ahead with building a new relationship with the oceans, one grounded in science, framed by international law, and based on shared responsibility among states, sectors, and generations.

Commenting on the findings of the international report, Greenpeace underscored the need to regard the findings as an urgent wake-up call for governments to protect what it described as 'the last pristine frontier of our planet' from deep-sea mining and industrial fishing. The organization called on governments to spring into action by establishing fully protected marine reserves that would close vast areas of the oceans to extractive human activities.

Greenpeace also noted that governments have pledged to protect 30 percent of the world's oceans by 2030, the minimum threshold that scientists say is necessary for the oceans to recover. The oceans are among nature's greatest gifts to the blue planet. They cover more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface, produce roughly half of the oxygen humans breathe, and absorb nearly one-third of carbon dioxide emissions generated by human activities.

They are also a fundamental source of food, energy, and medicine, and a major driver of the global economy, with billions of people depending on them for their livelihoods and well-being. The ocean economy is estimated at USD 1.5 trillion annually and is expected to turbocharge beyond USD 3 trillion by 2030. It supports the coastal and marine tourism sector through 174 million jobs, while maritime transport carries more than 80 percent of global trade.

Yet this vital and sensitive system is facing unprecedented pressures. Over the years, 90 percent of large fish stocks have been depleted, and half of the world's coral reefs have been destroyed. Humanity is taking more from the oceans than they can replenish, a harbinger of unpleasant things to come. This situation underscores the need to spring into action and unite efforts to establish a more balanced relationship with the oceans, one based not on exhausting their bounty but on restoring their health, renewing their vitality, and allowing them to flourish once again.