We Start With a Riddle…

What do a squid, a cargo ship, a fisherperson, and a runner have in common? The OCEAN, and their need for it! Without the ocean, life as we know it would not exist—the oxygen in the air we breathe would be reduced by at least 50%, and Earth would be an unfriendly place for most living things. Approximately half of the planet’s oxygen comes from marine organisms, predominantly phytoplankton, through photosynthesis (Figure 1A). The ocean also helps regulate Earth’s climate and acts like a giant sponge, soaking up carbon dioxide and helping to slow down climate change. It is also home to countless amazing creatures. Additionally, the ocean is a source of food, jobs, and fun recreational activities for humans (Figure 1B). So, you see, oceans play a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth, providing us with food and oxygen, and regulating the planet’s climate. However, Earth’s oceans are facing numerous threats such as pollution, overfishing, and climate change.

Organizing Our Priorities

Think for a moment about what is most important:

• A home for a fish

• A meal for a human

• Building materials for a new development

• A fun experience

• A healthy environment for a dolphin

• Fuel for your parent’s car

• Fertilizer to grow the world’s food

• A sacred place to practice your spiritual beliefs

Is it possible to put this list in order of priority? Ocean accounts can help. They are a valuable tool that can help us understand, prioritize, map, and measure the health and wealth of our oceans. In the rest of this article, we will explore the concept of ocean accounts and monitoring and supporting Earth’s precious oceans.

What are Ocean Accounts?

Imagine you have a piggy bank, if you were an adult, a bank account, where you save all your money, and you count the contents weekly to keep track of how much savings you have. Ocean accounts are similar but instead of money, they help us keep track of valuable information (data) about the ocean. Ocean data helps scientists and policymakers understand how the ocean is doing and what areas or ecosystems need to be prioritized for better management. Data is collected about things like the health of coral reefs, the number of fish, the amount of oxygen being produced by phytoplankton, and even how much pollution is in the water. All this data is recorded in table format on spreadsheets also called accounts. Importantly, all data is standardized so that someone in South Africa can compare accounts with someone in Canada, if need be. This is like having a report card for the ocean, and we use this information to make sure the ocean remains healthy and life-sustaining (Figure 2).

Why are Ocean Accounts Important?

Ocean accounts give us a standardized way to measure how the ocean is changing over time. Just like you might measure your height on a growth chart to see how much you have grown, ocean accounts help us measure things like the increase in pollution, the decline in certain fish populations, or the change in kelp forest coverage. Additionally, indicators (something that shows the status or quality of what you are tracking) of water quality, resource use, and conservation measures can be tracked, such as measuring sea temperature over time (warming or cooling?) or salinity of the ocean (becoming fresher or mare saline) to indicate how it might be changing.

By keeping tabs on the ocean’s health, we can identify problems and find solutions. This is like going to the doctor for a check-up. If the doctor notices something wrong, they can give you medicine or advice to help you feel better. Similarly, ocean accounts help us take care of the ocean by capturing measurements of its vital signs and making sure it stays healthy for all the creatures that call it home or rely on it to support life.

What do Ocean Accounts Look Like?

When we look out to sea, we only see a flat blue expanse—but we know that beneath the surface there is a huge, vibrant underwater world full of plants and animals living in diverse habitats. Ocean accounts are a bit like that, too. On the surface, they are just tables of numbers used by scientists and statisticians. But behind those numbers are real-world maps and models based on measurements like ocean depth, oxygen concentration, and fish populations. Mapping and modeling the ocean is like solving a highly complex, multidimensional puzzle. It is challenging, but exciting! So how do we make sense of a fluid, boundary-less environment and count what exists within it? That is where marine mapping comes in.

Imagine a map of a local bay, like False Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. Ocean accounts use maps illustrating the various ocean assets such as ecosystem types, water depth, types of marine users and uses, sea-floor habitat types, water quality, nutrient concentrations, current direction, and more. These data are used to create a visual representation of a particular part of the ocean, which is broken up into equally proportioned, 3-D space using mesh-like blocks. For each block of space, a series of numbers is created that count each of the assets listed above that are found within that block [1, 2].

You can picture this process like building a 3D jigsaw puzzle of your local bay (Figure 3A). For each puzzle piece or block, we have a measure of the ocean assets that are part of that area, as well as the size of each block. To calculate the total area, we add all the pieces together or calculate some portion or area of interest, depending on our needs or questions. For example, we can calculate the size of the kelp forest ecosystem type, and, from this, we can establish total biomass (weight of all the kelp) or carbon uptake. This is useful information because we then know how much kelp forest we have in the ocean at present, in comparison to another timepoint in the past—which tells us how the amount of kelp forest changes over time and how healthy it is. Is it increasing or decreasing? Is it healthy or dying? Is it a source of carbon dioxide or a carbon sink, meaning does it draw carbon dioxide down to the sea floor or not? Indicators of change are a key component of ocean accounts and give us information about the services oceans provide for our benefit [3].

Ecosystems, Society, and Economics in Ocean Governance

To provide sound and consistent decisions, which is known as good ocean governance, we need information about all parts of society that interact with the ocean. Ocean accounts must consider and “account” for the environmental or ecosystem component as well as the social interactions and needs, and financial matters associated with the sea (Figure 3B). In the past, people tended to put too much emphasis on the financial or economic aspects of ocean-related decisions—such as allowing the gradual collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery for the sake of economic gains which ultimately had negative environmental, societal, and economic impacts [4]. If these three parts were considered from the beginning perhaps the fishery would not have collapsed to within 1% of extinction [4]. Accordingly, to ensure that our oceans stay healthy as our societies continue to develop and use ocean assets, we must think beyond just economics and keep track of each facet. If we allow the environment to deteriorate, then the social and economic components will be impacted. However, if we do not think about economics enough, people’s livelihoods could be impacted. Finally, if we do not consider the social aspects, people’s quality of life and wellbeing will be impacted. Each pillar has a vital part to play, and monitoring these interconnected components is what sets ocean accounts apart from traditional accounting practices which historically only factors in the financial component of sea-based resource use [3].

Our Role in Accounting for the Ocean

Using ocean accounts, the health of our oceans and the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems has become visible. With this invaluable tool, we can track and measure changes in the ocean environment and its inhabitants in a standardized and meaningful way that will support sustainable ocean practices and development. It is up to each one of us to become stewards of the ocean. Some simple ways to do so are by reducing pollution (create less waste!), combating climate change (ride your bike or walk more!), adopting better ocean-related practices like sustainable fishing (ask your parents to buy only sustainably caught fish!) or only using reusable plastics (if any at all!). We can also support initiatives that protect marine life, and we can spread awareness about the importance of ocean conservation. Through combined actions, we can contribute toward a healthier, thriving ocean ecosystem. Remember that the future of our planet depends on the health and wellbeing of our oceans, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are preserved for generations to come. Learning about ocean accounts teaches us that globally standardized measuring, monitoring, and data collection is critical for marine environments. Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter future for our magnificent oceans.

Glossary

Phytoplankton: ↑ Microscopic, plant-like organisms (algae) that live suspended in water, both freshwater and saltwater. They are crucial for marine ecosystems as they form the base of the food chain.

Ocean Accounts: ↑ A way to organize and track information about oceans and coasts—like maps, data, and stats—showing how nature, people, and the economy are connected and changing.

Indicators: ↑ Are measurements that show the condition of the environment, like salinity indicating how salty the sea is and revealing its overall health.

Ocean Asset: ↑ Something in the ocean—like fish, coral, or clean water—that has value for nature, people, or the economy. It can be naturally found or created through human activity.

Biomass: ↑ The total mass of living (or dead) biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a specific time.

Carbon Uptake: ↑ The process by which oceans, seaweed, land plants, and forests absorb carbon dioxide from the air, helping reduce climate change by storing carbon in nature.

Carbon Sink: ↑ Anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases – for example, plants, the ocean and soil.

Ocean Governance: ↑ The rules and decisions countries and groups make to protect the ocean, use its resources responsibly, and keep marine life and habitats healthy for the future.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the South African Research Chairs Initiative through the South African National Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation, by a Community of Practice Grant in “Western Indian Ocean: Assessing the applicability of the ocean-accounts framework (OAF)” (UID: 125455). The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the funding bodies.

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