Building blocks for future visions open ocean
What are the main characteristics and (eco-system) services of the open ocean that might help solve the societal challenges of resources security and handling the effects of climate change? Exactly that question was the focus of the second round of the online survey STT organized as part of her foresight study An Ocean full of Possibilities.
The answers provided by both experts and stakeholders include:
- The characteristics of resources in the ocean floor and life present in the open ocean and the service of food & feed – mainly proteins to help solve resources security.
- The characteristic of ocean currents and the services of climate regulation and part of global carbon cycle to handle the effects of climate change.
Unsustainable exploitation and Ocean warming are seen as the two most important threats to the open ocean, according to the respondents. Additionally, they expect and desire the use of robotics and sensoring and observational technologies and systems for further exploration of the open ocean. For the future exploitation of the ocean the expected use of the technologies (blue / marine biotechnology and transportation technologies does only partially overlap with the desired use of those technologies. The expected and desired use of information technology and sensoring and observational technologies and systems for monitoring purposes is more in line with each other.
The results of this second round of the online survey will be used as building blocks to construct future visions on the open ocean later on this year. If you want to participate in that activity, please let us know at info [at] stt.nl.
Further details on the outcomes and mentioned characteristics and services of the open ocean, threats to the open ocean and the technologies can be found in the outcome report of the 2nd round of the online survey