Over the next few days, a group of Canadian researchers hopes to convince the world that the oceans could help us lead the fight against climate change.
Posted at 4:30 p.m.
Professor Anya Waite is leading a delegation from the Ocean Frontier Institute at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia to attend COP27 in Egypt, which began on Sunday.
While most people know that rainforests are the lungs of the planet, they often don’t know that “the oceans absorb more carbon than all the rainforests on Earth,” she said in an interview.
Scientists need to understand the role the oceans have played so far in mitigating climate change, she says, and it’s also important for coastal communities to know how they need to adapt to changing conditions.
The oceans have so far absorbed 90% of Earth’s thermal emissions, she said. It is, she says, because of these vast bodies of water that the goals of the Paris Agreement ― to limit warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, or even 1.5, if possible ― still remain. reachable.
But there’s also a danger that these carbon stores will turn into emitters as the waters warm, melting frozen methane caps and other greenhouse gases scattered across the seabed.
“The ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is slowly decreasing,” warned the professor.
Scientists and communities are beginning to understand the importance of marshes and kelp forests that hold carbon in the ground along coastlines, she said. These “blue carbon ecosystems” help to retain emissions, in addition to enhancing biodiversity.
However, it is offshore that the largest carbon reservoirs are found.
Endangered species
Changes in ocean temperatures are also altering water currents, she noted, adding that melting Arctic glaciers are putting fresh water into the ocean and forcing marine animals to move or adapt to their changed environments.
The endangered North Atlantic right whale has moved from the Gulf of Maine it used to inhabit to find itself in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
“There is a lot more shipping in the St. Lawrence, and these animals are now coming into contact with ships much more often, bringing an already endangered species to the brink of collapse,” said the professor. .
Canada is in a unique position to harness the potential benefits of the ocean, she said, noting that the country is surrounded by vast bodies of water. But although Canada has the luxury of using them to balance its carbon footprint, the PD Waite lamented that the issue has so far received limited attention and financial resources.
“Climate change is essentially a multi-billion dollar problem. And yet, observing and caring for the oceans costs far less than that, she said. Thus, a small investment can bring a huge benefit to mankind. »