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SDGAcademyX: OC001 One Planet, One Ocean

There are many reports and articles produced by scientific bodies, governmental agencies, and the United Nations which will be referred to throughout this course. Use these openly available resources which have a wealth of scientifically sound information on our ocean and browse through some of these listed below, at your leisure. Details of selected chapters or sections will also be given as readings for each module to help you complete the weekly quizzes and assignments.

Ocean Atlas

The Ocean Atlas 2017, produced by the course partners, contains 12 brief lessons, 50 pages and over 80 eye-catching graphics and illustrations of vital facts and figures about human impacts on the ocean. 

World Ocean Review

This series of five reports provides a broad but detailed overview of the state of the ocean. These cover topics from fisheries, marine pollution, and law of the sea, to marine resources, coasts, and changes in the marine ecosystems. First published in 2010, with contributions from experts in the Cluster of Excellence ‘The Future Ocean’ in Kiel, the International Ocean Institute in Malta and ‘mare’ magazine of the seas, this series aims to provide accurate and robust scientific information on the ocean that is accessible and understandable for the general public. Order free copies of the report in English or German here.

German Advisory Council on Global Change (WGBU)

The German Advisory Council on Global Change is an independent advisory body which provides scientific policy advice to the German Government. It regularly publishes reports on a variety of issues to do with global change, ocean governance and sustainability. On their website, there are report summaries as well as comprehensive reports and Commissioned Expert's Studies.

Some relevant reports for this course are:

Order free copies of the reports in English here.

United Nations World Ocean Assessment

This is the first integrated global assessment of the ocean and it tackles questions such as: What is the overall state of the world’s oceans and seas? Are marine ecosystems around the world improving or declining? What benefits do we get from the world’s oceans and seas, and how are they distributed? How can we measure the state of the oceans and seas?  And what threatens them? An overview for the results is presented in a 26-page summary available of the World Ocean Assessment website.

Summary of final report available in English here. 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Since its formation in 1988 as an intergovernmental scientific body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has produced reports based on objective assessments and reviews by panels of thousands of experts on scientific information. The most recent Assessment Report (AR5) with brief fact sheets, short summary for policymakers and in depth individual chapters on a multitude of topics can be found on the IPCC website free of charge.

Synthesis Report (AR5) is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean Russian, and Spanish.

Global Ocean Commission

Since it's launch in 2013, the Global Ocean Commission has produced two reports, 'From Decline to Recovery: A Rescue Package for the Global Ocean' and 'The Future Of Our Ocean: Next steps and priorities', covering issues relevant to the high seas governance. These reports highlight the drivers of this decline as well as providing short-, mid- and long-term recommendations to improve ocean health. 

Summary reports are available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic.

Additional links of interest

Sustainable Development

Law of the Sea and UN Programmes

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

Fisheries and Marine Science