The ocean carbon sink and climate change: A scientific and ethical assessment

Abstract

The world's oceans which serve an important function in regulating anthropogenically driven climate change are rapidly degraded due to rising levels of atmospheric carbon emission and concentration linked to human activities. Particularly threatened are marine phytoplankton communities which constitute a significant part of the global climate control system. The main purpose of this paper is to address this critical issue by raising environmental awareness concerning the inextricable relationship between ocean carbon sink, climate change and human long-term existence based on a scientific assessment of the ecological functions of the oceans. This is expected to prompt human urgency to work towards arresting the increasing anthropogenic pressures exerted on the oceans. It also further considers the role of environmental ethics to guide, inspire and motivate individuals to act against further deterioration of our oceans. It is concluded that raising environmental awareness and promoting the ethics of sustainable resource use constitute one of the major keys in arresting further impoverishment of the health of our oceans.