An Issue that concerns all Marine Stakeholders
By Trevor Platt and Shubha Sathyendranath

Seen from satellites in space, the Earth is a blue planet: more than two-thirds of the surface is covered by water. But the ocean does not function in isolation. It is part of the coupled Earth system, comprising the land, the ocean and the atmosphere together, as well as their associated ecosystems. Because all these components function together, change in any of them can have implications for all the others. Climate change is a perfect example of this interdependence. Release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels on land has led to a modification of the Earth's climate, which has, in turn, profoundly affected the oceans.

The temperature of the ocean is changing, with unpredictable effects on the major current systems, on the intensity and frequency of storms, and on the distribution of sea ice. The consequences for shipping could be profound. Moreover, as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the acidity of the ocean is increasing, with devastating consequences for biodiversity. Organisms such as corals are especially vulnerable and their depletion could affect the tourism industry. Modification of the marine ecosystem by extensive reduction in the abundance of such organisms may have unknown effects on other species, including those exploited by fisheries.

We know that the Earth is undergoing a major climate change. It is our opinion that it is the number one problem facing society today. But do we know all of the ways in which the ocean might be transformed under climate change? We do not. Mankind relies on the ocean for transportation, for mineral extraction, for fisheries and for recreation. A large proportion of the world's population lives on the coastal margin, and is hostage to whatever changes the oceans might suffer, including changes to the frequency, intensity and pathways of marine storms. It is in everyone's interest to be aware of how the ocean is changing and to anticipate the possible outcomes.

In other words, a massive effort in monitoring the ocean is required. Here, the vast extent of the ocean works against us. There is too much water to keep an eye on and too few trained people to do it. The lion's share of capacity in ocean observations resides in the developed countries, especially in the northern hemisphere. The southern hemisphere suffers in comparison, as nations whose economies are in transition often do not have the capacity to make these ocean observations. Thus, in trying to cope with the effect of climate change on the ocean, we are handicapped both by a shortage of trained personnel and by the sheer scale of the sampling problem. Our challenge is to continue to increase our knowledge about the present and future states of the ocean.

What can be done about it? Two initiative come to mind, and in both of them the Nippon Foundation (NF) has already taken a leadership role by making a major investment in capacity building. Here, in collaboration with the Partnership for Observation of Global Oceans (POGO), the Nippon Foundation established a Visiting Professor program that sent senior scientists to research institutes in developing countries for periods of three months or more. In these programs participating scholars are given advanced instruction in marine science and ocean observations. Two Visiting Professors were selected each year, during the three-year life of the program. The enhanced successor program is the NF-POGO Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography, established at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. Each year, ten marine scientists from the developing world will receive one year's training, education and mentoring on various aspects of observing the ocean. In this way, the Nippon Foundation is contributing significantly to the development of human resources, especially in developing countries, for making high-quality observations of the climate and ecosystem of the ocean.

The future of the ocean is everyone's problem. The Nippon Foundation is making a vital contribution to our collective capability in this regard. The Centre of Excellence Programme is a major initiative enabling society to observe and protect its ocean patrimony.

Dr. Platt is the incoming Director of POGO, Dr. Sathyendranath is POGO Secretariat, Plymouth Marine Laboratory