The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the 14th of which is “Life Below Water”, namely: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Under this major goal, there are 10 targets, the 14.a of which is “Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries.”

●Current Situation

The World

UN secretary-general urges intergovernmental conference to adopt robust, ambitious maritime biodiversity treaty that protects ocean health for future generations

As the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its resumed fifth session, the UN Secretary-General sent a message to delegations, urging them to adopt a robust and ambitious agreement that advances ocean health for future generations.

Miguel de Serpa Soares, secretary-general of the conference, UN under-secretary-general for legal affairs, and UN legal counsel, read out a statement on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who was unable to be present at the meeting due to other commitments.

“Our ocean has been under pressure for decades. We can no longer ignore the ocean emergency,” he emphasized, pointing out that the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are being keenly felt around the globe, affecting environment and livelihoods of people. By adopting a robust and ambitious agreement, the Intergovernmental Conference can take an important step forward in countering the destructive trends and advancing ocean health for generations to come. The treaty can ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of the ocean space and guarantee that environmental impacts of respective activities are considered in decision-making. 

Moreover, the treaty can deliver on capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology, leveling the playing field so all states can responsibly utilize and benefit from this critical global commons, he said. Encouraging delegations to help ensure the ocean will be healthier, more resilient and more productive, benefiting the planet and humankind, he stressed, “At the dawn of the fifth decade since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, you have the opportunity to further build on its legacy.”

Source: press.un.org

China

China Oceanic Development Foundation strengthens international ocean cooperation and shares opportunities

In recent years, the China Oceanic Development Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Oceanic Foundation) has joined forces with relevant units to focus on global ocean governance and the promotion of international ocean cooperation, concentrate on global ocean governance, climate change and ocean cooperation, blue partnerships, ocean sustainable development and other hot issues, expand exchanges, and build consensus. They sincerely invite experts and scholars to actively participate in various activities of the Oceanic Foundation to gather more wisdom, consensus, and strength for ocean protection and governance.

In early November 2022, the Oceanic Foundation hosted or undertook a series of important international forums and seminars, inviting people from global political, business and academic circles in the marine field to focus on key words such as openness, cooperation and win-win to stimulate ideas and build consensus, building a bridge of mutual benefit and win-win results for the promotion of international ocean exchanges and cooperation, helping with the high-quality co-construction of the “Belt and Road” and promoting the building of a community of shared future for the ocean.

Pan Xinchun, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Oceanic Foundation, said in his concluding remarks at the forum that representatives of many island countries fully affirmed the remarkable achievements in maritime cooperation between China and island countries, especially small island countries, and spoke highly of the forum’s great significance to promoting island countries to protect the ecological environment, develop resources, promote economic development, and strengthen cooperation with China. The “Island Sustainable Development Initiative” adopted by the forum marks a new level of cooperation between China and island countries. It is hoped that all parties will continue to deepen cooperation in the marine field based on the results of this forum, so as to jointly benefit all mankind.

Source: iziran.net

●Cases

The World 

Startup companies and nonprofit organizations are developing innovative ways to protect our oceans and their living inhabitants

Life below water is a vital planetary resource that we depend on for everything from absorbing nearly a third of carbon dioxide produced by humans, to supporting the very coastal ecosystems that act as buffers against natural disasters and providing livelihoods for over three billion people in the world. But thanks to human activities that degrade the natural environment, plastic pollution, ocean acidification and marine biodiversity loss has reached alarming levels. Now, startup companies and nonprofit organizations are developing innovative ways to protect our oceans and their living inhabitants.

Plant A Million Corals has come up with cost-efficient and adaptable coral restoration units that can be deployed to support coral growth and also empower communities to participate actively in protecting life under water. Using micro-fragmentation processes, the planting projects allow for rapid coral growth and healing at rates that are around 25 to 40-times faster than they would naturally occur, making it possible to save and recover lost reefs.

Cascadia Seaweed recently shifted its strategic direction from being an ingredients supplier to a human food producer, manufacturing delicious and sustainable plant-based food products out of seaweed. Their goal is to provide nutritious vegan foods while promoting climate action, ocean regeneration and economic resiliency for Indigenous communities through seaweed cultivation. 

SharkSafe Barrier is a solution that successfully biomimics the visual look of a kelp forest, combining it with permanent magnetic stimuli to form an eco-friendly barrier that deters shark species from passing through in order to protect humans from sharks without harming our precious marine life.

Source: greenqueen.com.hk

The world’s first commercial submarine data center is launched

On March 31, 2023, the world’s first commercial submarine data center was launched in Lingshui, Hainan Province. The data center is composed of the shore station, underwater relay station, underwater data terminal and submarine cable. The shore station carries power, network access, central monitoring and other facilities. The underwater relay station is responsible for the intermediate connection, including power supply and network distribution, control and post back. The underwater data terminal contains electronic information equipment and underwater facilities. Among them, the underwater relay station and the underwater data terminal are deployed on the designated target seabed. The core equipment of the data center is the submarine data cabin, which is in the shape of a cylindrical tank. The cabin provides a safe and airtight anaerobic environment with constant humidity and pressure. It weighs 1,300 tons, which is equivalent to the weight of 1,000 cars. The diameter of the tank is 3.6 meters, which is equivalent to the core module of the “Tianhe” space station. It is currently the largest submarine data module in the world. The structural design life is 25 years, and the application water depth exceeds 30 meters. By placing the servers in the data cabin on the seabed and using the ocean as a natural cold source, it has the advantages of power saving, no need for fresh water, saving land resources, high security, high computing power, and rapid deployment.

Source: people.com.cn

China

Ocean University of China approved to build the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of “Marine Biodiversity and Evolution”

The Ministry of Education announced the project approval results of the first batch of key laboratories of the Ministry of Education during the “14th Five-Year Plan”. The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory Laboratory of “Marine Biodiversity and Evolution,” relying on the Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolution at the Ocean University of China and the College of Marine Life Sciences at the Ocean University of China, was approved for project construction and became the university’s eighth key laboratory under the Ministry of Education.

The study of marine biodiversity and evolution is the core and basis of research in related fields such as “ecology, environment, and resources”. In today’s globalized world, it is becoming a focus of scientific research. The team in the field of marine biodiversity and evolution at the Ocean University of China focuses on the basic scientific issues in the field of marine biodiversity and development-evolution, and studies issues such as the genetic, species and ecological diversity of important marine functional groups, the pattern formation, developmental law and mechanism of evolutionary node marine organisms at the subcellular, cellular, tissue and organ levels, and the molecular mechanism and structural basis of the diversity and evolution of marine metabolism. A series of important achievements have been made in scientific research, personnel training and platform construction.

With the goal of “international frontier, international vision, international status, and international level”, the laboratory will strive to build a high-end platform with distinctive features, outstanding international influence, and open cooperation in the field of marine biodiversity and evolution. It aims to set up a flag that represents the frontier level of China in this field with a clear symbol of the discipline, build an internationally competitive and high-level research team;  obtain a number of original achievements with outstanding academic value in the diversity and systematics of important marine animal groups, the development and evolution of evolutionary node organisms, the diversity of microbial resources in marine extreme environments, and the life processes and their adaptation and evolution mechanisms, and significantly enhance the country’s research level and international influence in this field.

Source: cmls.ouc.edu.cn

Shenzhen ocean bottom seismograph equipment and technology project

The broadband OBS technology to be introduced by the Shenzhen ocean bottom seismograph equipment and technology project is from the famous IPGP research institute in France. Its core technology is consistent with the OBS technology of various oceanographic research institutions in the United States, and its stability and high performance have been verified by many sea trials. The purpose of this project is to fill the gap in seismic observation of the ocean, which accounts for 71% of the earth’s surface area, and to develop a high-performance broadband ocean bottom seismograph (OBS), making the oceanography of the Southern University of Science and Technology stand out among many new marine research institutions in China. The successful research and development of the prototype of the high-performance broadband ocean bottom seismograph (BBOBS) will change the country’s backwardness in seabed detection equipment technology, lay the foundation for the marine industry chain of Shenzhen, and bring together a team of talents for marine industry and research.

Source: 1633.com

●Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.