PART THREE: POLICY ANALYSIS
Regulations governing Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification has not been mandated in any international treaty thus there are no laws or regulations that explicitly handle the problem (IUCN, 2014).
There has been establishment and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) a classification of vulnerable and endangered eco-systems was established (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission [5356], Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research [5512], International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme [146], 2013) this in return limited human interference as well as preserving the marine biodiversity.
Social consequences of ocean acidification
Ocean acidities affect the quality of water. The ocean is about 97% of the earth’s water. If its integrity is diminished it poses health challenges to consumers. Regions that rely on ocean water for consumption will experience lower standards of living to cope, and these areas will be unhabitable.
A loss of biodiversity affects all members of the food web including humans who are at the top of the web. This will lead to food insecurities
Loss of biodiversity increases incidences of new infections. Research by Wilkinson et al, (2018), indicates that disease-causing organisms thrive more in fragmented habitats.
Economic growth will be stunted in coastal areas where Maritime activities were dominant.
Rising ocean acidity accelerates global warming thereby creating an inhabitable environment for all organisms on earth to thrive.
There will be a larger disparity between the high class and lower class, and between first work countries and the third world because resources will be scarce.
Coral reefs offer protection to destructive effects of cyclones, storm surges, and provide shelter to islands and coastal areas. Loss of coral reefs could render these areas inhabitable, lead to loss of lives and cause damage to property
Social scientific methods are used to identify the consequences of ocean acidity
Use of stakeholder-informed ecosystem modeling and discourse-based evaluation. This involves engaging stakeholders in interviews, workshops, and surveys about the ecosystem. The most relevant ecosystem services that could potentially be affected are identified and integrated into a systems dynamic model that links the scenarios to the response of affected species (Koenigsten, Ruth, & Reisemann, 2016). The results indicate the different adaptive levels of the ecosystem services and serve to improve discussions and governance of marine systems
Policies that have been proposed
National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes by Executive Order 13547 on July 19, 2010, by President Obama. The goal of the National Ocean Policy is (The White House, 2014):
- To make informed decisions that affect the oceans that are backed by knowledge and data.
- To rehabilitate the oceans in times of climate and environmental uncertainties by backing scientific research, innovative technologies, high-quality information about this topic.
- To create a comprehensive strategic plan to protect further acidification of oceans through monitoring of both regional and global oceans.
- To develop real-time warning systems of ocean water composition changes using sensor networks to monitor the effects of natural and manmade events
- To compile administration and join information gathered through the monitoring framework, with the goal that the information can be shared and incorporated across all disciplinary and hierarchical limits.
- To ensure that all stakeholders are engaged in mitigation, adaptation, and conservation strategies.
These initiatives from the National Policy increase understanding of the problem and their potential solutions.
The International Policy (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission [5356], Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research [5512], International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme [146], 2013) suggests:
- The reduction of anthropogenic emissions CO2 to minimize ocean acidification since it is the main cause of it. Developing cleaner, zero carbon emissions would reduce carbon emissions.
- Reducing emissions by afforestation and reforestation practices because trees absorb CO2.
- Proper management of land use and land-use changes.
- Management of habitats and coastal protection
- For the private sector such as in aquaculture and fisheries, the efficient utilization and management practice in monitoring the quality of water used and using sensor networks to evaluate water intake.