We Need Strong Ocean Protection at COP15
By Nicolas Lama
Sixty feet underwater, I am able to hear my own thoughts. In an increasingly chaotic world — overwhelmed with disorder, disaster, and distraction — the depths of the ocean allow me to discover the long-desired virtues that surely all busy college students seek: clarity, serenity, and beauty.
Below our ocean’s surface lies a hidden vibrancy like none other. From the Florida Keys to the Galapagos Islands, scuba diving through some of our planet’s most pristine coral reefs has opened my eyes to a whole new world, and filled me with a strong sense of urgency and purpose to protect these natural wonders for future generations.
Our ocean does more than give us memories that last a lifetime. Covering over 70 percent of our planet’s surface, the ocean is key to our fight against the climate crisis and a pivotal source of food, energy, and medicine for millions of people all over the world. A healthy ocean is vital to supporting and sustaining human life on earth.
And yet, today, only 8 percent of our global ocean is protected.
Last January, a group of scientists around the world issued a stark warning: “Humanity is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity, and, with it, Earth’s ability to support complex life.” The science is clear: our window to save our ocean and the natural wonders within it is closing rapidly. Pretty soon, future generations will no longer have the chance to grow up experiencing our planet’s most beautiful marvels or forming deep connections to our ocean’s waters the same way I have.
Growing up on Florida’s coast, the ocean has always held a special place in my heart. From its tides to its swells, our ocean is our planet’s greatest resource and connector, and it has given me so many meaningful memories throughout my young life. I was 10 years old when I first grabbed a surfboard and paddled out into warm Florida waters; 12 years old when I first plunged into the Atlantic’s depths to explore new frontiers through scuba diving; 15 years old when I first began to research the challenges our ocean faces and commenced my journey in environmental activism. Now, as a 20 year-old member of EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council, I work alongside young conservation leaders around the world, building a global youth movement that works to protect and restore at least 30 percent of our planet’s ocean by 2030.
As a young person, it’s hard to not lose hope. Time and time again, we are bombarded by inaction. World leaders continue to disillusion us and neglect the urgency of the threats our planet faces. Too many empty words are spoken without meaningful realization. And our ocean, and its immeasurable potential as a source of solutions for our planet, has been too often sidelined or ignored. I am constantly reminded of the conceivable reality that I might be part of the last generation to witness our planet’s fullest natural wonders.
But sixty feet underwater, surveying a whole new world before me, I find clarity. We cannot lose hope, because our ocean needs us. It needs us to continue fighting; to continue marching; to continue using our voices to urge our world leaders to take meaningful action that will safeguard our collective future.
And this week, there is a hopeful opportunity.
As countries gather in Montreal for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15, there is an opportunity for world leaders to adopt a strong Global Biodiversity Framework once and for all, including a commitment to protect at least 30 percent of our global ocean by 2030. International support of this goal has grown tremendously, and the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People announced that more than 100 countries have now committed to its core mission. A deal for nature and our ocean is far from certain, but I have hope.
As our sea levels rise, so too must we. We must urge our world leaders to secure a final agreement to protect 30 percent of our ocean and reverse biodiversity loss at COP15. It is time to finally take the decisive action our ocean deserves.
We must act now to protect our global ocean.
Do not make me the last generation.
Nicolas Lama is a twenty-year-old environmental activist from south Florida and a student at Columbia University. As a member of EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council, Nicolas leads advocacy and policy initiatives to empower youth voices and protect at least 30% of our global ocean by 2030.
