What Sort of Biodiversity in the Seas?

In issue 437 of Futuribles (July-August), we began a series on the ocean, the sea, the coasts and the various activities dependent on them. Denis Lacroix, who is coordinating this series, alerted us to the effects of climate change on sea levels. Now we have biologist Gilles Boeuf confirming the need to review our behaviour as soon as possible to avoid an aggravation of the vicious circle that has been established between climate change and the loss of marine biodiversity and changes to the ocean, those losses and changes themselves having an impact on the climate. After outlining the crucial role of the ocean in the appearance and development of life on our planet, Gilles Boeuf stresses the specific features of marine biodiversity and the wealth it contains. He also shows the extent to which human activities (overfishing, pollution, mass tourism etc.) undermine that biodiversity and how the transformations those activities produce in the oceans have an effect on climate change (the infamous vicious circle). Whereas most marine species have, over the centuries, developed impressive capacities for adaptation, cooperation and symbiosis, human beings seem to have flipped to the opposite attitude and are now running a non-negligible risk of self-destruction. May this article encourage them — encourage us — to reverse the trend…