The ocean, one of the greatest allies in the fight against climate change, is suffering in an accelerated way one of its main consequences, the rise in temperatures, which in turn increases exponentially the risk of irreversible loss of marine and coastal ecosystems in the world.
In fact, generalized changes have already occurred, such as damage to coral reefs, mangroves and marine meadows or migration of species towards higher latitudes and altitudes in search of colder waters.
This degradation of marine meadows and their ecosystems is due to the combination of multiple factors ranging from the pressures that exercise coastal development, pollution or dredging, to unregulated fishing and navigation activities.
Advantages of conserving marine pastures
Often, coral reefs are highlighted as a habitat that needs protection and of course they need it, but the truth is that the reefs are only the tip of the iceberg of a much greater problem. The coral barriers are found in tropical and subtropical waters near Ecuador, while marine pastures are found throughout the planet, from the tropics to the Arctic.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) some species that depend on the ocean grasslands, to take refuge and are threatened or critical danger of extinction. This is the case of sea horses or larger species such as the so -called marine cows whose food comes to 90% of these pastures.
In addition, they house fish and crustaceans of commercial importance, such as cod and abadejo and serve as a refuge to the fry of other species that, in turn, provide support to coastal populations.
They also help reduce the impact that ocean waves and currents exert on the erosion of coastal areas and improve water quality by filtering nutrients and pollutants and act as shock absorbers of oceanic acidification.
Fight against climate crisis
As it becomes increasingly pressing to stop global warming, these sea grasslands have acquired greater relevance. According to the latest report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, centered on the oceans and the criosphere, mangroves, marshes and marine pastures meadows can store up to one thousand tons of carbon per hectare per hectare, a figure far superior to what can almost absorb any terrestrial ecosystem. And they can do it up to 35 times faster than tropical forests.
Its conservation and restoration has become a priority to deal with climatic emergency. The protection of these ecosystems must be carried out both nationally and internationally, since around 159 countries have marine pastures in their coasts and must be raised collaboratively between institutions, companies and citizens.
Although, for now, there are few countries that host among their measures against climate change to conserve marine meadows, Gabriel Grimsditch, an expert in marine ecosystems of the United Nations Environment Program, recognizes that “there is a lost opportunity in this sector, but there is also a lot of potential for more countries to include marine pastures among their plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change”.
Data and figures
-In May 2022, the United Nations proclaimed on March 1 as the day of marine pastures, in order to alert about the urgent need to keep them.
-As marine pastures function as very efficient carbon sinks, since they store up to 18 % of the world’s oceanal carbon.
-0.4 hectares of marine grass can house up to 40,000 fish and 50 million small invertebrates such as crabs, oysters and mussels, and also:
-The marine grass grasslands supply 50% of world fishing and facilitate basic nutrition to about 3 billion people.
-From the end of the 19th century, almost 30% of the worldwide surface of marine pastures and, at least 22 of the 72 species of known plants, are in decline, have been lost.