91��Ƭ��

The third United Nations World Ocean Assessment (WOA), a massive international effort to determine global ocean health involving approximately 600 experts,  last week. Easton White, an assistant professor in the department of biological sciences at 91��Ƭ��, served as the lead author of a new chapter of the WOA that focused on the effects of human pandemics such as COVID-19 on the oceans. 

Overall, the assessment reveals that the ocean is under severe and accelerating human-caused pressures from the surface to the deep sea. These pressures are often cumulative, combining to cause widespread biodiversity loss, undermining the ecosystems that support fisheries, coastal protection, and human health. The WOA improves understanding of the drivers, interactions, and long‑term consequences of these changes.

Easton White

White’s contributions focused on how the societal disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created complex downstream effects on ocean health. For example, increased use of personal protective equipment resulted in more pollution, global shipping patterns were disrupted, and seafood demand decreased due to illness and supply chain interruptions. The work highlighted the need for investments in data and infrastructure, new partnerships, and nimbler scientific and governance institutions that can respond to future pandemics and other shocks. 

“I led a team from around the world to document the impacts of COVID-19 on our oceans and the communities that depend on them,” says White. “I found the work inspiring as it highlighted the common challenges and opportunities we face in our oceans.”

The WOA is the only global integrated assessment on the state of the marine environment which explores the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the ocean. Supporting policymakers, managers, educators, and students, it provides a shared foundation for dialogue, learning, and decision-making and explores the ocean’s vital role in connecting people, cultures, and economies worldwide.

“The imperative for a healthy and resilient ocean has never been more urgent. Global collaborations and research, and our increased understanding of the ocean, provide essential insights into the state of marine ecosystems, the profound changes they are undergoing, and the need for our care,” says Rafael González-Quirós, joint coordinator of the Group of Experts for the third World Ocean Assessment.