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Sharks, the ocean’s apex predators – observed at depths from 300 metres and 900 metres down in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Comoros is bearing the brunt of climate destabilisation and biodiversity loss, experts opined at the meeting.
The COP30 summit in Brazil urged the need to hit a global target of protecting 30 percent of the world’s ocean by 2030. has been brought into stark focus by an international science mission which has just returned with new evidence from the depths of the Indian Ocean.
Sharks, the ocean’s apex predators – observed at depths from 300 metres and 900 metres down in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Comoros are bearing the brunt of climate destabilization and biodiversity loss, experts opined at the meeting.
The presence of these magnificent creatures at such depths signals there is a food source to sustain them. That offers hope that, in spite of the Comoros facing enormous difficulties due to climate change and overfishing, there is still a functioning ecosystem in the deep. Although fragile, it has not yet been destroyed by the impact of global carbon emissions warming the waters of the Indian Ocean.
But Comoros government leaders know this is a race against time as the situation on land and in the shallows is worrying. A healthy ocean is vital for the Comoros in mitigating the impacts of climate destabilization Rising sea levels, ocean warming, and biodiversity loss all pose an existential threat.
Like so many island nations on the frontline of the climate crisis, the Comoros are not the world’s major polluters yet they face the challenge of trying to fix the damage. According to a recent World Bank estimate, more than one in five of the Comorian population lives in poverty.
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The country relies on the ocean for its survival; so understanding how to conserve fish stocks, whilst using the bounty of the sea to responsibly feed its people, is pivotal. There’s a recognition that the fix includes educating the next generation on ocean literacy and tackling the issue of illegal fishing. Without both of those measures in place the ecosystem close to shore and around the reefs cannot sustain future generations. Already there is a worrying lack of predators like sharks being spotted in shallower waters down to 30 metres below the surface.