To ensure a holistic approach to ocean-climate action, different actors working from the local to the global level have shared their insights on the links between One Health, the ocean, coastal communities’ resilience, marine bio-discovery, fisheries and blue food, and ocean plastics.

The roundtable titled ‘One Health, the Ocean and Climate Change’ was held on 16 November 2022 at the COP27 Health Pavilion. This blog post outlines transformative research and practice developed by various individuals and organisations in the panel to advance the link between One Health, the ocean, and climate change, with a view to exploring the environmental law and policy dimensions of One Health in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event was chaired by the Hub’s Deputy Director, Dr Bernadette Snow, with opening remarks by Professor Maxine Burkett, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries, and Polar Affairs, who noted that the nexus between one Health, the Ocean and climate change can be seen in three areas including coastal communities’ resilience, blue foods, and sea-level rise. The following key messages were emphasised:

• Coastal communities are at the front line of climate impacts. In order to improve coastal communities’ resilience, we need to work with partners to co-create community-led programmes.
• The ocean delivers nutritional value. There is a pressing need to ensure that management of international fisheries is sustainable, robust, and science-based.
• Discussions about health is often missing where the topic of sea-level rise is under scrutiny.  Creating resilience plans from health sectors around the world is needed as part of the response to sea-level rise.

One Health, the Ocean, and SDGs

Claire Lajaunie (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), France) and Pierre Mazzega (Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), France delivered a presentation on ‘One Health in Practice: Opportunities and Challenges’. Lajaunie highlighted how the One Health approach is an integrated approach that improves the health of people, animals, and ecosystems that should be extended to the ocean in accordance with the roadmap given by the One Health High Level Expert Panel through its theory of change and in accordance with the One Health Joint Plan of Action 2021-2026 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

She presented the first results of the Session on One Health and the ocean she convened during the Science Summit UNGA77, drawing attention to:

• lack of interlinkages between norms and policies from different sectors;
• lack of global standard for microplastic collection, and lack of consistency among norms and sectors involved;
• the need to have best available ocean science observation, data, and services to meet he SDGs targets;
• the role of ocean policies that focus on intersectorality in facilitating the implementation of the One Health approach, such as policies in the Pacific.
• a potential opportunity after COVID-19 to shift from an implicit to an explicit use of One Health approach.

Pierre Mazzega presented co-produced research and elements of ongoing modelling work using linguistics on One Health and the ocean with policy paths to the SDGs. Lajaunie and Mazzega noted that to highlight the interdependencies between the health of the ocean, people and animals, their research better delineates the links between One Health, the ocean and the SDGs. They insisted on the need to strengthen dialogue between science and policy in order to structure a coherent set of actions for One Health.

Marine Biodiscovery

The roundtable further explored the One Ocean Hub’s contribution to research on ocean biodiversity and biodiscovery and impacts of marine plastic pollution for health and climate change, including through a short film on marine biodiscovery produced and narrated by Professor Rosemary Dorrington (Rhodes University, South Africa) and Jazz Conway (University of Plymouth, UK).

Professor Rachel Wynberg and Dr Jessica Lavelle, (University of Cape Town, South Africa) with Professor Mathew Upton (University of Plymouth, UK) delivered their presentation on ‘Paths towards Inclusivity, Equity and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Biodiscovery’. Professor Wynberg noted that the Ocean genome that serves as the foundation upon which the functionality of all marine ecosystems rest is under threat from pollution, climate change, and mining. The steps needed to conserve the Ocean genome include:

• Integrating marine genetic diversity in all Ocean planning and conservation efforts.
• Using marine biodiscovery to strengthen conservation benefits through knowledge generation.
• Ensuring capacity development and technology transfer to support sustainable use of biodiversity.

• Embedding conservation in all benefit-sharing agreements and mechanisms.

Dr Jessica Lavelle emphasised the current inequity in Ocean science limiting the participation of low and middle-income states in biodiscovery and Ocean conservation. Developing states are often rich in biodiversity but lack financial resources for the high costs of access to deep sea research vessels and specialised underwater technology for Ocean sampling. Therefore, the governance of the Ocean requires capacity building and technology transfer according to the self-identified priorities of developing states to enable their equitable participation in Ocean research.      

Professor Mathew Upton called for increased awareness of the importance of deep-sea sponges and other marine invertebrates. These vulnerable marine ecosystems are threatened by human activity and climate change and minor changes in environmental conditions could lead to their extinction. This is important because they are an unprecedented source of novel bioactive compounds with medical potential, including urgently needed antimicrobial agents. Greater visibility will support sustainable sampling and study with protection of deep-sea sponges and other marine invertebrates.    

Holistic Approach to Ocean-Climate Action

The other panellists reflected, from different perspectives, on the need for a holistic approach to ocean-climate action. Jenni Laiti (Land Body Ecologies) presented, ‘If the Ocean is not kept healthy, we won’t survive’ that looked at mental health impacts of changes to the Ocean and fish populations. Laiti highlighted deep connection between people, the Ocean, environment, and livelihoods in the Artic area and said:

“When Ocean is sick, we too get sick. When we lose a limb, we still survive, but when we lose the viability of the environment and the Ocean, such as the air, food supply…, we will die. Our bodies are just as connected to the environment and the Ocean as our limbs are.”

Jenni Laiti, Land Body Ecologies

Abou Saine, a fisherman from Gambia, appealed for help to improve monitoring and control of fishing activities and the type of fisheries instruments used in Gambia. Destructive fishing gear and illegal fishing activities have led to the rapid decrease of fish supplies. Saine shed light on the importance of sustainable fishing for human health, survival of communities, employment, and food supply.

Dr Edem Mahu (University of Ghana, Ghana) noted the strong connection between plastic pollution  and human health as we depend on animal proteins and consumption of seafood. Plastics have been found in various parts of the human body (including placenta, lungs, and blood) with potential to cause various diseases. Mahu also emphasised that plastics and microplastics have great implications for climate change as their production is responsible for green house gas emissions.

Dr Karina von Schuckmann (Mercator Ocean International) presented on ‘Ocean science, data and services for the UN SDGS 2030’ noting that the ocean plays a key role in the Earth system and vital to the SDG framework. Dr von Schuckmann called for a holistic approach in climate change adaptation and mitigation that embraces sustainable ocean stewardship informed by science, data and services.

Ms Catalina Pizzaro (UNEP) elaborated on the pressing need for a comprehensive global treaty to curb plastics pollution, which considers national circumstance and capabilities.

Dr Tarub Bahri (FAO) ended the session with insights on food safety and biosecurity as important sustainability challenges in the face of climate change, including the risks of harmful algal blooms and antimicrobial resistance. She highlighted relevant work by FAO, including: a study with WorldFish to assess the impacts of the fishmeal industry in West Africa, and management plans developed by some countries for small pelagic fisheries, a major source of fishmeal; the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to address IUU fishing; a study on sea-based sources of marine litter and technical guidelines to address abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear.

Dr Tarub Bahri (FAO) ended the session with insights on food safety and biosecurity as important sustainability challenges in the face of climate change, including the risks of harmful algal blooms and antimicrobial resistance. She highlighted relevant work by FAO, including: a study with WorldFish to assess the impacts of the fishmeal industry in West Africa, and management plans developed by some countries for small pelagic fisheries, a major source of fishmeal; the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to address IUU fishing; a study on sea-based sources of marine litter and technical guidelines to address abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear.

FAO has also reviewed the status of knowledge of microplastics in fisheries and aquaculture, and concluded that the risk of not including fish in our diets is far greater than the risks posed by exposure to plastic–related contaminants in fish products. Aquatic food is a vital source of essential nutrients, and human consumption of aquatic food has increased significantly in recent years from 9.9kg per capita in the 1960s to 20.2kg in 2020, with higher figures in some countries. However, when processing fish, 30-70% ends up as waste or non-food products. To better utilise aquatic food resources, FAO is developing nutritious local food products to use for school feeding programmes. The incredibly high and unique diversity of aquatic food, including 3,000 species exploited in fisheries and over 650 species used for aquaculture alongside growing pressure on the biodiversity of aquatic systems was highlighted. Finally, Dr Bahri pointed to the Blue Transformation Roadmap, a new approach that FAO is advocating to improve fisheries management, sustainably expand aquaculture and increase the efficiency of the aquatic food chain.

See the video recording of the event here.