{"id":23898,"date":"2019-08-20T21:16:02","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T19:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=23898"},"modified":"2021-06-30T13:39:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T11:39:29","slug":"protect-the-oceans-pole-to-pole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/23898\/protect-the-oceans-pole-to-pole\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting the Oceans, from Pole to Pole"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ve journeyed from Pole to Pole, on an epic voyage to reveal the wonders that lie beneath the surface of our oceans and confront the threats they face. Our mission – to secure a Global Ocean Treaty,<\/a> agreed at the UN, to protect the oceans that lie outside national waters.<\/p>\n\n

Scientists, media, and marine experts have joined the crew of the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, to conduct scientific research on ocean life and document destructive human activities like overfishing, plastic pollution, and the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n\n

We want a Global Ocean Treaty because it could open the door to a network of ocean sanctuaries around the world. Scientific studies have shown that when large ocean areas are protected, marine life and their habitats quickly begin to recover. Not only will this mean turtles, sharks and whales will be given space in which they are safe from many of the human dangers facing them, but it will also help our fight against climate breakdown. Healthy oceans are essential to keep our climate stable, so we need to do everything we can to protect them.<\/p>\n\n

Catch up on the voyage below, and join over three million people from around the world<\/a> in demanding a global treaty to protect the oceans.<\/p>\n\n

The Antarctic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In January this year, we arrived in the Antarctic to begin the final stage of this epic year-long expedition. Bursting with life and as remote as it gets, it\u2019s no wonder this extraordinary part of the world has captured our imagination for centuries.<\/p>\n\n

But today the Antarctic is being threatened by the climate crisis, and the incredible array of wildlife that calls it home is at risk.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

A team of scientists joined the expedition to survey penguin colonies that hadn\u2019t been counted for decades. This involved counting tens of thousands of penguins (by hand!) You can have a go at some penguin counting yourself in this video:<\/p>\n\n

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By investigating penguin colonies, the scientists can better understand how climate change and other threats are impacting them. Sadly, it\u2019s not looking good.<\/p>\n\n

Penguin numbers in the Antarctic have dropped by almost 60% – with some colonies losing as much as 77% of their population<\/a> since they were last counted in the early seventies. <\/p>\n\n

Why does a warmer world mean fewer penguins? It\u2019s mostly about food. Like lots of Antarctic animals, these penguins live on krill, which can get harder to find as the ice becomes less predictable. This pressure on food supplies from the ocean, combined with changes to the land where they nest and raise their chicks, makes climate change a huge threat to the Antarctic\u2019s best-loved residents.
But hope for the Antarctic is far from lost. <\/strong>While the oceans are being hit hard by the climate crisis, they\u2019re also one of our best allies in fighting it.<\/p>\n\n

Our expedition in the Antarctic was the last stop on our Pole to Pole voyage, but the campaign for ocean protection isn\u2019t over. Take action today<\/a> and follow our journey on Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Turtle Journey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We\u2019ve worked with Aardman Animations (the creators of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep) to produce a powerful short film about why our oceans need protection. <\/p>\n\n

While we know that scientific research helps build the case for protecting our oceans, we also need millions of people around the world to help spread the word. This means we need the message of ocean protection to reach as many people as possible. This film will help us reach far beyond people who already follow Greenpeace, as well as introducing a whole new generation to this issue.<\/p>\n\n

The film features special guests Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, David Harbour, Giovanna Lancellotti, Helen Mirren, Bella Ramsey and Ahir Shah<\/p>\n\n

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The Wild West Atlantic<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Hundreds of miles offshore, beyond the reach of national laws or public attention, the open ocean can be a lawless place. And that\u2019s especially true in the south west Atlantic. <\/p>\n\n

\"Activists
Greenpeace Andino activists protest against the lack of regulation for the fishing industry in the South Atlantic by displaying a 25 meter-long banner in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay, with the message \u201cOcean Looters\u201d.
\u00a9 Fernando Garcia \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

More than 40 species in this area are under threat, and it\u2019s the home of the beautiful Southern Right Whale. But it\u2019s also a mostly unregulated fishing ground, where giant trawlers sweep up sea life.<\/p>\n\n

Lots of these fishing boats drop off their catch in the port of Montevideo in Uruguay. Activists from Greenpeace Andino confronted them here with a 25m banner reading \u2018Ocean Looters\u2019.<\/p>\n\n

\"Southern
Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) swimming off the coast of Argentina.
\u00a9 Santiago Salimbeni \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Ghost nets and underwater mountains<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

It sounds like the plot for a sci-fi fantasy story, but far off the coast of South Africa there really is an underwater mountain. It\u2019s littered with \u2018ghost nets\u2019 abandoned by industrial fishing boats over the years.<\/p>\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/7297163299\/videos\/2484799978467237\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n

Mount Vema is still beautiful and full of life, but fish and other animals are still getting tangled up (and even killed) in this abandoned fishing gear. <\/p>\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.international\/videos\/1136335039898603\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n

The team on board the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise will be investigating the role this mountain of the sea and others like it play in maintaining the balance of our oceans, and documenting the impact destructive overfishing may have had on this habitat rich in marine life. <\/p>\n\n

Uncovering the secrets of the Amazon Reef<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
\"Deep
Mesophotic reef. Video grab taken at 100 meters depth in the Amazon Reef
\u00a9 Greenpeace \/ Alexis Rosenfeld<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In late August, the Esperanza returned to the beautiful Amazon Reef, which has been at the heart of a long-running campaign<\/a> against giant oil companies planning to drill near this unique habitat. Following on from the UN meeting in New York, the pressure is on to make world leaders pay attention to ocean protection. <\/p>\n\n

At the Amazon Reef, on-board scientists quickly made an important new discovery – after spotting a mother whale and her calf, they\u2019ve confirmed that the Amazon Reef region is a breeding area for whales<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

This expedition also saw the first ever human deep-dive<\/a> in the Amazon Reef. Unencumbered by the mini-submarine used on previous trips, scuba divers were able to gather incredible, pin-sharp images of the reef\u2019s fascinating wildlife.<\/p>\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.international\/videos\/1904165899728240\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n

As part of their efforts to understand the wildlife in this area, the team is also tracking a group of leatherback sea turtles<\/a> from their nesting ground in French Guyana, at the northern end of the Amazon Reef. <\/p>\n\n

This is a long-term study so we won\u2019t have final results for a while, but one thing is clear: those turtles can really swim! As this map shows, they\u2019ve crossed thousands of miles of open ocean in just a few months.<\/p>\n\n