Emerging dangers that might significantly affect marine biodiversity during the following five to ten years have been identified by recent research. The study, which was released on July 7 in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, also discusses the drawbacks of adopting green technology that should not be disregarded. A group of 30 interdisciplinary specialists employed a method known as “horizon scanning” to get their results.
There has been an effort to switch from plastic derived from fossil fuels to biodegradable polymers, such as “biodegradable plastic bags,” which are manufactured of plant starches, in response to mounting public criticism against marine plastic pollution. The materials do not, according to the researchers, biodegrade in the water under normal circumstances, and their broad use can also result in marine litter. They can cause a new set of issues because it is uncertain how they will affect the ecosystem in the long run.
According to the researchers, a possible threat to marine ecosystem is posed by the rising demand for renewable energy technologies, such as lithium batteries for electric automobiles.
Lithium is more concentrated in deep marine “brine pools” of more salty water, which may one day be used as extraction locations. According to the study, these ecosystems are home to a wide variety of species, many of which are yet relatively unexplored. These settings may be under risk as the number of electric cars powered by lithium batteries increases.
At its most recent Ministerial Conference on June 23, the WTO called for the restriction of subsidies for individuals who fish overfished stocks, seeing overfishing as an urgent issue.
To address rising worries about global food security, the authors predict more fishing in deeper seawater.
Around 10 billion tonnes of tiny lanternfish, which are unfit for human eating but may be sold as food to fish farms or used as fertiliser, are present in the mesopelagic zone (a depth of 200 m to 1,000 m).
However, because these species function as an ocean pump and remove carbon from the atmosphere, the widespread harvesting of mesopelagic fish would seriously harm the ecology.
A approach called “horizon scanning” looks for new, little-known problems that are expected to have significant effects during the next ten years.
Prior to having a significant influence, the technique, according to the study’s creators, is intended to “mainly operate as signposts, focusing attention on certain difficulties and giving support for academics and practitioners to seek financing in these areas.”
It is also a successful method for bringing together specialists from many fields to analyse related problems and develop more thorough answers.
The horizon scan approach has been used in the past to pinpoint problems with now-known global environmental impacts. Microplastics, or microscopic plastic trash smaller than 5 mm, are a threat to marine habitats, according to a 2009 survey. Since then, nations including the US and the UK have outlawed the use of microbeads in cosmetics.
