Oceans cover 70 per cent of the planet and provide food, energy, water and millions of jobs. The ocean absorbs around one quarter of the world’s annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, thereby mitigating climate change and alleviating its impacts.

Yet, human activity is endangering the ocean – the planet’s largest ecosystem – and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people.

• Continuing ocean acidification and rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and negatively affecting marine ecosystem services. Between 2009 and 2018, the world lost about 14 percent of coral reefs.
• In 2021, more than 17 million metric tons of plastic entered the world’s ocean, making up 85 percent of marine litter. The volume of plastic pollution entering the ocean each year is expected to double or triple by 2040.
• The global coverage of marine protected areas stood at 8 percent of global coastal waters and oceans in 2021.
• More than a third (35.4 per cent) of global fish stocks were overfished in 2019, up from 34.2 per cent in 2017 and 10 percent in 1974. However, the rate of decline has recently slowed.
• Almost half a billion people depend at least partially on small-scale fisheries, which account for 90 percent of employment in fisheries worldwide.
• Australia has the third largest marine jurisdiction on earth at 13.6m square kilometres
• Australia has 60,000km of coastline with 85% of the population living within 50km of the ocean
• By 2025 Australia’s marine industries will contribute over $100bn p.a. to the economy, growing at 7.5% p.a.