A new International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report, Explaining ocean warming: causes, scale, effects and consequences, sets out the most recent and comprehensive review to date on this topic and shows a complex story of change in the ocean.

At the World Conservation Congress in September 2016, Marine Vice-Chair of the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas Prof. Dan Laffoley speaks of the recent Ocean Warming report being published on the importance and urgency of tackling climate change for the health of the global ocean and our planet.

Abstract

Ocean warming may well turn out to be the greatest hidden challenge of our generation. This report represents the most comprehensive review to date on ocean warming. To build up the report, leading scientists from around the world were invited to join with colleagues to contribute individual chapters.

It contains many recommendations from the scientists on capability gaps and research issues that need to be resolved if we are to tackle the impacts of ocean warming with greater confidence in the future.

The focus of the report is on gathering facts and knowledge and communicating this to show what is now happening in and to the ocean. There is purposefully much less focus on political ramifications. We hope that this report will help stimulate further debate and action on such issues.

Related

• Report: Explaining ocean warming: causes, scale, effects and consequences
• Report (PDF)