The ocean shapes our weather
Ocean currents help move heat around the world, making the climate less extreme and our planet more habitable.
The ocean slows climate change
By absorbing a large part of our CO2 emissions and most of the excess heat generated by emissions, and by storing carbon from marine life, the ocean provides vital climate mitigation.
The ocean is home to a myriad of life
The world's seas and oceans contain millions of different kinds of life, many of them unknown to science.
The ocean is the lungs of the world
Life in our seas and oceans produces half of the oxygen we breathe.
The ocean heals us
Our seas and oceans provide life-saving drugs, and ocean life could be the key to tackling the diseases of the future.
The ocean feeds us
More than 3.5 billion people depend on our seas and oceans for their primary source of food.
The ocean makes us whole
It is where we came from and where we always return, to rest, swim, dive, sail, and to nurture our physical and mental health.Spotlight On
‘Protect the ocean, protect life!’: Ocean advocates make global call for action before UN Ocean Conference
Ocean advocates took to the streets of Nice, France ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference to call for stronger ocean protection. Organised by a coalition of marine and environmental NGOs led by Brussels-based Seas At Risk, the march comes just days after the announcement of the European Commission’s Ocean Pact, at a time when ocean policy – and progress on past promises – are under scrutiny.
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Historical step as OSPAR bans toxic scrubber discharges in North-East Atlantic waters
26 June 2025
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Environmental Groups Call for Scrubber Ban Ahead of OSPAR Ministerial Meeting in Vigo
19 June 2025
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Factsheet: Marine Protected Areas in the EU: ensuring legal compliance and effective enforcement
3 June 2025
