Map shows toll on world's oceans

Only about 4% of the world's oceans remain undamaged by human activity, according to the first detailed global map of human impacts on the seas.

A study in Science journal says climate change, fishing, pollution and other human factors have exacted a heavy toll on almost half of the marine waters.

Only remote icy areas near the poles are relatively pristine, but they face threats as ice sheets melt, it warns.

The authors say the data is a "wake-up call" to policymakers.

 

According to the aforementioned study, humans were having a major impact on the oceans and the marine ecosystems within them.

The international team of 20 scientists in the US, Canada and UK built a complex model to handle large amounts of information on 17 different human threats.

The scientists say they were shocked by the findings. There's nowhere really that escaped from human impacts. They believe that two biggest drivers in destroying marine habitats were climate change and over-fishing. The least impacted areas are the polar regions but they are not untouched."

The scientists hope that their findings will be used to prioritise marine conservation efforts.

The findings of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, US.

Source: BBC News