Experts will analyze the health diagnosis of the oceans in Costa Rica

Scientists, academics, officials and environmentalists will debate Friday and Saturday in Costa Rica measures for the preservation and sustainability of the oceans in front of climate change and human actions, one year before the world conference on the subject to be held in France.

The Central American country hosts the meeting “Immersed in change” by co-organizing with France the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC)scheduled for June 2025 in the city of Nice.

The Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Arnoldo Andréexplained on the eve of the preparatory forum that will be “a space for exchanging good practices and successful experiences on issues related to ocean health”.

Participants will debate issues of governance, global warming, fishing or marine biodiversity that help decision-making at the conference in France.

Blue diplomacy

One of the main axes of “Immersed in change” is to continue with the international political agenda to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established in 2015 by the UN and of which number 14 deals with the protection of the ocean.

To do this, the first step is to add members to the High Seas Protection Treaty signed in 2023 by more than 70 countries, including the two hosts.

“Costa Rica is working hard towards the goal of protecting 30% of land and marine surfaces in 2030 and the ratification by the largest possible number of member countries (of the UN) of the new treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity in international areas”André explained.

The high seas are international waters that begin where the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of States end, about 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coasts.

Currently, only about 1% of the high seas is under conservation measures, and the star tool of the treaty is the creation of marine protected areas in these waters.

“If you want to arrive in France with your homework done, this weekend in Costa Rica is where you must move from words to action“, the marine biologist told AFP Pilar Marcosresponsible of Greenpeace International Oceans.

An example of this international diplomacy is the project signed by Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica to create a marine biological corridor in the Pacific Ocean from the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador to Cocos Island in Costa Rica.

“It would be one of the greatest conservation strategies in the world”, highlighted the environmental organization WWF.

Adaptation to climate change

The meeting in San José will also serve to compare situations, practices and forecasts.

“There are serious problems associated with marine pollution and from there there are many sources of pollution that are damaging the health of the oceans.“, he told AFP Alvaro Moralesdirector of Research Center for Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR) from the University of Costa Rica (UCR).

Two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered in water and the oceans are the largest source of CO2 absorption on the planet.

“When the ocean is not in good health, manifestations begin to occur in its biological productivity, in the ability of organisms to adapt to climate change.”Morales commented.

Finding solutions to recover, sustain and maintain the health of the oceans is the goal of “Immersed in change” as a preliminary step to the world conference.

“If not, we will not be in time to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030″Warned Greenpeace.