Marine population declined since 1970: Study

As per recently released study, populations of marine mammals, fish, birds and reptiles have declined by 49% since 1970.
The study report was prepared by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). In this study more than 1,200 species of marine creatures were analysed in the past 45 years.
Key facts

• Biggest drivers of these declining trends are various human activities such as overfishing, marine habitat destruction and climate change.
• The impact of climate change has mainly attributed to excess absorption of carbon dioxide into the oceans which is making them more acidic and damaging a number of species.
• There is steep decline marine habitat in the form of mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses which support marine food webs and provide valuable services to people.
• The report highlights the need to protect critical marine habitats, sustainably manage fish stocks more and improve fishing practices and redirect financial flows to support these needed initiatives.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2015