Oceans, which cover 70% of the planet, are in peril. Global research is mobilising to study and rescue it, and the CNRS is on the front lines, with over 1,000 scientists and 50 laboratories involved. An overview of the actions underway and the major challenges ahead, from the coasts to the depths of the sea.
While a vision of oceans as indestructible has prevailed until the present, their current transformation–both visible and rapid–henceforth makes them a major preoccupation. The melting of continental ice and polar ice caps, the occurrence of extreme events, the emergence of a continent of plastic, and the exponential growth of human uses of the sea are so many indicators that illustrate this trauma and cause concern. “Oceans need science, all of the sciences. They are by essence an interdisciplinary topic, and a major factor in the durability of our planet. The CNRS encourages all ocean research in order to ensure their permanence,” affirms Antoine Petit, CNRS Chairman and CEO.