The conversations held at COP16 surrounding critical marine species can be used to help inform the discussions happening at COP29 on oceans and climate.
Marine species data is rapidly emerging as a key asset in shaping climate policies, as ocean health and climate stability are deeply intertwined. A more complete understanding of marine ecosystems can enhance predictions of their resilience against human activities such as climate impacts, but achieving truly global policies requires addressing significant disparities in data collection across regions.
The Role of Marine Species Data in Climate Policy: From COP16 to COP29
Importance of Marine Biodiversity in Climate Resilience
Marine biodiversity plays a fundamental role in climate resilience. Yet, achieving these benefits on a global scale requires specific, species-level data to understand how each species contributes to climate stability. Species-specific data can reveal crucial insights into how climate change is affecting the marine ecosystem, which play a foundational role in the ocean’s food web.
Using Marine Data for Predictive Climate Modeling
Climate models are often strengthened by integrating marine health metrics, such as species distribution and richness changes. Changes in species distribution, for instance, can reflect underlying shifts in temperature and ocean acidity, providing critical indicators of climate change. This data can serve as a basis for predictive climate modelling, helping scientists anticipate ecological shifts and develop proactive climate policies.
Influence on Climate Policy
Marine species data has already influenced policies related to conservation, emissions, and marine protected areas (MPAs). For instance, the Marine Heritage Sites publication (2022) highlighted the collaboration of organisations like the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), WoRMS, and Marine Regions to document crucial biodiversity in protected areas. This research aligns with the mission of the UN Ocean Decade, providing policymakers with the information for sustainability managing and conserving high-biodiversity zones.
Image Credit: Cassandra Scott / Ocean Image Bank
Current Sources of Marine Species Data
Key Data Collection Programs
- The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) collects georeferenced marine biodiversity data worldwide, contributing to climate science by offering data on species’ occurrences, habitats, and migration patterns.
- The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) serves as a critical taxonomic backbone for initiatives like OBIS and The Ocean Census, ensuring data accuracy and standardisation, which is vital for climate-related analyses.
- The Ocean Census works to discover and document new marine species, contributing to a growing database essential for tracking biodiversity in changing oceans.
Despite the strengths of these programs, gaps in data collection remain, especially in under-researched regions of the southern hemisphere, where opportunity has been limited.
The Northern vs. Southern Hemisphere Divide in Marine Species Data
Understanding the Data Disparity
Marine data collection has historically favoured the northern hemisphere, driven by the resources and capabilities of industrialised nations in these regions. Technological and financial support, along with an abundance of research stations, have allowed for detailed data collection in the North Atlantic, Arctic, and northern Pacific regions. Conversely, the southern hemisphere has fewer marine research stations and historically, more limited satellite coverage, resulting in less data for southern and temperate marine regions – with Antarctica as an exception.
Such bias may overlook important southward shifts in species migration, differences in species richness, and unique stressors impacting southern marine environments.
Image Credits: Erik Lukas / Ocean Image Bank
A Look Towards COP29 with Balanced Marine Species Data
The Need for “True” Global Patterns
Accurate climate models require balanced datasets that represent both hemispheres equally. With more robust data from southern regions, models can provide a clearer picture of global climate change impacts.
Recommendations for Policymakers
To ensure that climate policies benefit from inclusive, balanced data, policymakers should prioritise these actions:
- Advocate for Balanced Funding: Support international efforts to allocate funding across hemispheres considering equity, inclusion and ocean justice, promoting research in underserved southern regions.
- Encourage Data Inclusivity: Invest in technology and partnerships that promote data collection across diverse marine ecosystems, especially those in tropical and subtropical southern waters.
- Implement Regional Climate Actions: Develop policies that respond to regional data, allowing for more tailored climate actions that address specific vulnerabilities and species’ needs in each hemisphere.
- Recognise that, historically, opportunity – not skill and knowledge – has been lacking for some under-represented groups: Ensure that ocean citizens are supported to engage in their own waters, and that stewardship and decision making is based on local and indigenous knowledge that is present by the knowledge holders and authentically considered.
Featured Image Credit: Ouchhh (ATLAS OCEAN DATA-BORDEOUX)
