Oceans in the Anthropocene. From the Demise of Coral Reefs to the Rise of Plastic Sediments. Presentation for the Anthropocene Project at Haus der Kulturen der Welt

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Let me see....!........!!!!!!!!!!
This shows
the frailty of
our Earth. We
have to
protect it
Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder
Haus der Zukunft (Berlin) gGmbH i.Gr.
Images: Jaqueline Pulsack, UdK
The Blue Marble
Wow! Just see This.
Earth is rising. How
beautiful!
Anthropocene Working Group, Freie Universität Berlin
Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, Munich
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(In: A. Hamann, H. Wagenbreth, H. Trischler, R. Leinfelder,
2014
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© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin

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– Oceans are being used
since onset of humankind –
but: new quality since
industrialisation
– Oceans at risk: by direct use and indirect
impact (e.g. climate change)
– New options for use and access cause
additional pressure
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© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
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The Ocean as source and infrastructure
• Food from the sea: fisheries and
aquaculture
• Energy from the sea: from fossil to
renewable
• Resources from the sea
• Marine ecosystem services, e.g. genetic
resources
• Traffic: Shipping and trade
Use of the Oceans
from: Hamann et al 2014a
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© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
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• Food from the sea: fisheries and
aquaculture
• Energy from the sea: from fossil to
renewable
• Resources from the sea
• Marine ecosystem services, e.g. genetic
resources
• Traffic: Shipping and trade
• Oceans as a dump and sink for waste
of all kind
Use of the Oceans
The Ocean as sinkhole
© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
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from: Hamann et al 2014a
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• Warming
• Sea-level rise
• CO2-input and acidification
• Dead zones
• Pollution (nutrients, toxic substances, plastic),
oil spills
• Overfishing
• Ecosystem destruction,
loss of biodiversity (e.g. coral reefs)
• Attention to interactions –
synergistic impacts
The oceans have arrived in the anthropocene…
Threats to the Oceans
Use of the Oceans
The ocean as „patient“
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© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin

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Status and trends of fish stocks worldwide
Collapsed
Overexploited
Exploited
Developing
Sources: Pauly, 2013; World Bank and FAO, 2009
Year
• Massive ecological damage
• Economically unsound: US$ billions are lost
• Far from sustainability
© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
Number of stocks [%]
Rebuilding
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
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Source: Alder and Sumaila, 2009; Worm et al., 2009
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Anthropocene - Plastic and Coral Reefs
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Source: Plastics Europe 2013
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Up: Yesenia Thibault-Picazo, CRAFT IN THE
ANTHROPOCENE - objects and scenarios
Left: clastic plastiglomerate on Kamilo Beach, Hawaii
(from Corcoran et al. 2014)
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Climate Change
Chemical
Pollution
Change of Land
Use
Ocean acidification
Source: Rockström et al., Nature, 24. Sept. 2009
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorous-
Cycle
© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
Atmosph.
Aerosols
Biodiversity Loss
Stratospheric
Ozone Depletion
Global
Freshwater
Use
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Living with risks and likelihoods: The tipping point problem
From : Hamann et al 2014a
From : Lenton et al. 2008, PNAS 105, modified
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Principle of the freedom of the Seas mare liberum & res commis
(Hugo Grotius,1608) shifted to a mare ordinarium situation
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Acidification
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e.g. „Jurassic reef“ characteristics
in Bocas del Toro, Panama
increased sedimentation and
eutrophication to study ‘atavistic’
structures
anthropogenic impacts result in
low or medium complex reefs
similarity of Porites thickets to
Jurassic reef thickets
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Three guiding principles for future ocean use in the Anthropocene
1. Precautionary principle (e.g. Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 1992)
- Ecosystem approach, incl. land/sea interactions
- Earth system interactions: CO2, pH
- Marine ecosystems and society
3. Oceans as common heritage of mankind
Guiding Principles
Analysis of Ocean Governance
Guiding Principles
Analysis of Ocean Governance
Threats to the Oceans
Use of the Oceans
2. Systemic approach
Threats to the Oceans
© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
Use of the Oceans
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9. Status Quo
Source: WBGU, 2013
d*#'AFGHW`(&(-%'2-,'!"#$%'G-B#,%$%"#'(%')*#'
+%)*,-.-"#%#T'd*#'Coastal-state sovereign rights
and national c$,(%#'jurisdiction for
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resource management
Reformed UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): integrates the implementing agreements (FSA, etc.)
Int. Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS): extensive responsibility, rights of sanction vis-à-vis coastal states and RMMOs
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) incl. implementing agreements (FSA, etc.)
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)
EEZb High seasc
World Oceans Organization (WOO)
Global stewardship function for marine conservation and sustainable management of all resources
Integrates the International Seabed Authority and Continental Shelf Commission
If coastal states or RMMOs fail to meet their remit: access to legal remedies/rights of action (ITLOS)
Regional Marine Management Organizations (RMMOs)
Regional stewardship function, accountability obligations vis-à-vis WOO
Sustainable management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks together with coastal states
Coastal-state sovereign rights
and national jurisdiction for
resource management
Reformed UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): integrates the implementing agreements (FSA, etc.)
Int. Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS): extensive responsibility, rights of sanction vis-à-vis coastal states and RMMOs
World Oceans Organization (WOO)
Global stewardship EEZb function for marine conservation and sustainable management High seasc
of all resources
Integrates the International Seabed Authority and Continental Shelf Commission
If coastal states or RMMOs fail to meet their remit: access to legal remedies/rights of action (ITLOS)
Regional Marine Management Organizations (RMMOs)
Regional stewardship function, accountability obligations vis-à-vis WOO
Sustainable management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks together with coastal states
Scope of the common heritage of mankind principle
© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
National Regional Global
Baseline
max. 350 nm
The Areae
Extended
continental shelfd
Virtually
unlimited
sovereignty
12 nm max. 200 nm
International Seabed Authority
Responsible for the mineral
resources of the Area
Continental Shelf
Commission
Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs):
Fisheries management on the high seas including some straddling and highly migratory fish stocks
Regional cooperation between the coastal states,
e.g. in the UNEP Regional Seas Programme
Contracting states of UNCLOS
Contracting states of the FSA
Limited accountability obligations vis-à-vis RFMOs, sustainable management of straddling and highly
migratory fish stocks
Mostly coastal-state
sovereign rights and
national jurisdiction
Scope of the common
heritage of mankind
Territorial
seaa
National Regional Global
Baseline
max. 350 nm
The Areae
Extended
continental shelfd
Virtually
unlimited
sovereignty
12 nm max. 200 nm
International Seabed Authority
Responsible for the mineral
resources of the Area
Continental Shelf
Commission
The Area as a
common heritage of mankind
Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs):
Fisheries management on the high seas including some straddling and highly migratory fish stocks
Regional cooperation between the coastal states,
e.g. in the UNEP Regional Seas Programme
Contracting states of UNCLOS
Contracting states of the FSA
Limited accountability obligations vis-à-vis RFMOs, sustainable management of straddling and highly
migratory fish stocks
Mostly coastal-state
sovereign rights and
national jurisdiction
Scope of the common
heritage of mankind
Territorial
seaa
National stewardship function
Accountability obligations vis-à-vis WOO
Sustainable management of all resources
Sustainable management of straddling and
highly migratory fish stocks together with
RMMOs
Accountability obligations vis-à-vis RMMOs
Sustainable management of all resources
Virtually
unlimited
sovereignty
Monitoring
and reporting
obligations
The oceans as the common heritage of mankind
Regional cooperation with coastal states
Regional treaties, UNEP Regional Seas Programme
Marine conservation
Sustainable management of resources (except mineral
resources of the Area)
Access to legal remedies/rights of action (ITLOS)
Contracting states of the reformed UNCLOS
The Areae
12 nm
Territorial
seaa
max. 350 nm
max. 200 nm
National Regional Global
High seasc
Extended
continental shelfd
EEZb
Baseline
Mostly coastal-state
sovereign rights and
national jurisdiction Integration area of the common heritage of mankind principle and
coastal-state sovereign rights and national jurisdiction
National stewardship function
Accountability obligations vis-à-vis WOO
Sustainable management of all resources
Sustainable management of straddling and
highly migratory fish stocks together with
RMMOs
Accountability obligations vis-à-vis RMMOs
Sustainable management of all resources
Virtually
unlimited
sovereignty
Monitoring
and reporting
obligations
The oceans as the common heritage of mankind
Regional cooperation with coastal states
Regional treaties, UNEP Regional Seas Programme
Marine conservation
Sustainable management of resources (except mineral
resources of the Area)
Access to legal remedies/rights of action (ITLOS)
Contracting states of the reformed UNCLOS
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12 nm
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max. 350 nm
max. 200 nm
National Regional Global
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Extended
continental shelfd
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Scope of the common heritage of mankind principle
sovereign rights and
national jurisdiction Integration area of the common heritage of mankind principle and
coastal-state sovereign rights and national jurisdiction
Future
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• Oceans have reached the Anthropocene
• Oceans are under anthropogenic influence since long, but the Great
Acceleration (1950) does change sediment characteristics:
• Decrease in biodiversity, homogenisation trend and lateral shifts in
biotic patterns, reduction of coral reef complexity and numbers,
increase in anoxic sediments
• Sediments with different geochemical signals, high amounts of
anthropogenic particles (plastic, glass, industrial particles)
• Starvation of siliciclastic and calciclastic shallow-water sands (owing to
damming of rivers and excavations of marine sands), non-natural, non-predictable
sediment patters.
• BAU: total collapse of coral reefs, extinction phase of other organisms,
no calcareous sediments, spreading out of anoxic sediments and
plasticlastics
• Mitigation/Adaptation: Human-aided, adapted reef types, continuation
of calcareous sediments, Human-aided beach bars, mangrove shoals,
islands, lower rates of plasticlastics. CE'
© Reinhold Leinfelder, for Open Forum Anthropocene Working Group, The Anthropocene Project. A Report, HKW 17. Oct 2014, Berlin
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