Skip to the content

We have 10 years to save the seas» While in Canada, plankton has declined by half, a Scottish researcher warns of the collapse of the oceans. The consequences would be dramati

We have 10 years to save the seas»


The article was translate from German to English by Google translator

link to published article

Since Newfoundland and Labrador, there has been a dramatic decline in plankton since 2014.

The Canadian Fisheries and Marine Authority (DFO) has identified a worrying plankton death in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador. According to DFO researcher Pierre Pepin, all zooplankton biomass there has dropped by 50 percent over the last three to four years. In addition to the death of zooplankton, the animal plankton, Pepin has also noted a decline in phytoplankton, the plant plankton, as reports.

Plankton is the basis of the entire food chain of the oceans. Fish, seabirds, whales and seals: they are all dependent on plankton. What the decline means, Pepin illustrates by comparison: It's like going to a grocery store and all the racks are only half full. He fears that something fundamental has changed in the food chain of the oceans.

First the sea, then the land

Pepin's concern is shared by Scottish marine biologist Howard Dryden. He warns in a report by the environmental organization Global Oceanic Environmental Survey that the oceans will be so poisoned by 2045 that within five years, most fish, birds and marine mammals will die out. According to Dryden, that would have devastating consequences for life on land.

"If we allow the marine ecosystem to be destroyed, the mainland ecosystem will fail a few years later," Dryden told . "We only have about 10 years to turn things around and not just eliminate plastic, but toxic chemicals like those found in thousands of products, from lipstick to sun creams." Failure to do so would lead to a collapse of the entire marine ecosystem ,

Toxic chemicals

Dryden notes that it is not the industry that is responsible for the death of plankton, but the people who use cosmetics and other products that are full of toxic chemicals. These include oxybenzone, which does not dissolve in the water, but attaches to smaller objects such as plankton, kills it slowly and other organisms that feed on plankton, poisoned.

The threat to the marine life emanating from Oxybenzon, including the US state of Hawaii has recognized. There the use of the compound in sun creams from 1 January 2021 is prohibited. In addition, Dryden calls for a ban on wood burning by 2020, a comprehensive ban on disposable plastic and equipment recycling without pollutant emissions. In addition, by 2030, all industries would have to be free of toxic waste.

Only if all this is achieved could the seas recover by 2050, says Dryden. If he does not succeed, he sees black. "To put it bluntly, if we do nothing to improve the situation, humanity can not survive."

Most important oxygen supplier

The loss of plankton would have dramatic consequences, not only because of the loss of an important food source in the sea. Because phytoplankton also produces 50 to 80 percent of the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere and eliminates most of the carbon dioxide. The fact that plankton has been reduced by more than 40 percent globally through human influence since the 1950s is one of the main causes of climate change for Dryden. Against this background, the increased plankton dying off Newfoundland and Labrador seems even more dramatic. 

About the author

Dr. Howard Dryden

Dr. Howard Dryden


comments powered by Disqus


Dr. Howard Dryden, CSO

Please help us to continue our research

Light window Image
GOES Foundation