Ocean optimism: Is there really hope for our seas? Dr Bryce Beukers-Stewart, Department of Environment and Geography

Event details

Department of Environment and Geography Lecture

Public awareness of our oceans and the threats they face has probably never been as high as it is today. BBC's Blue Planet 2 kept us spellbound by bringing the wonders of deep into people’s homes like never before, but then brought us back down to Earth by highlighting the dangers of overfishing, plastic pollution and climate change. News headlines regularly warn about how we will run out of fish by mid-century, if ocean warming doesn’t cook them, or ocean acidification doesn’t dissolve them, first! While these threats are real, if sometimes exaggerated, there seems to be much less focus on how to tackle them. In this talk, Bryce will present stories from both his own research and others about how scientists, conservationists and coastal communities are slowly turning the tide. The ocean belongs to all of us, so we all have a role to play in helping to ensure it has a sustainable future. We hope this talk will inspire you to believe that there really is cause for ocean optimism, if we all pull together.