The Future Of The Ocean

Experts take a deeper dive into the ocean’s relationship with humanity.

Join the conversation using the hashtag #HLPBluePaper

About The Event

Please join us on for the U.S. launch of two new “Blue Papers” about the ocean’s relationship with humanity.

• The Future of Food from the Sea provides new science-based projections of how the ocean can help meet the world’s increasing global demand for nutritious food. It finds that the ocean could supply more food than it does today, contributing to the animal protein needed to meet projected future global demand. Whether this potential is realized, however, will depend on the extent of dietary and demand shifts, and require expanding sustainable marine aquaculture (including innovations in fish feeds) and reforming capture fisheries.

• The Expected Impacts of Climate Change on the Ocean Economy provides a first-of-its-kind country-by-country analysis of climate change impacts on three of the largest sources of ocean-based revenue and jobs: coral reef tourism, wild capture fisheries, and marine aquaculture. It indicates which countries are projected to face economic losses in reef tourism over the coming decades. It also shows which regions are projected to experience declines (or increases) in wild fish stocks, by how much, and the resulting implications for jobs and risks of conflict as fish locations shift. Finally, it explores how marine aquaculture can contribute to feeding a hungry planet while adapting to a changing climate.

Featured Speakers

• Dr. Christopher Costello, Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UC Santa Barbara

• Dr. Reniel Cabral, Research Scientist on Sustainable Fisheries, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, UC Santa Barbara

• Ambassador Kåre Aas, Norwegian Ambassador to the United States

• Lauretta Burke, Senior Associate, World Resources Institute

• Emily Owen, Manager, Coastal Wetlands and Coral Reefs, The Pew Charitable Trusts

• Eric Schwaab, Senior VP Ocean Program, Environmental Defense Fund

• Mark Spalding, President, The Ocean Foundation

These Blue Papers were prepared by leading experts in support of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (HLP). The HLP is an ambitious effort of 14 serving heads of government to catalyze bold, pragmatic solutions for the future of ocean health and wealth. HLP members are from Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau, and Portugal. The Blue Papers are an independent input to the HLP process and do not represent the thinking of the HLP, Sherpas, or Secretariat.

Share With Your Network