Ocean Map Charts Path of Human Destruction

A groundbreaking new map of the state of the world’s oceans was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Oceanographic Data Center. The goal of this map, published in Science (February 15, 2008), is to estimate and visualize the global impact of human beings on the ocean’s ecosystems. The map combines 17 anthropogenic stressors, including “coastal runoff and pollution, warming water temperature due to human-induced climate change, oil rigs that damage the sea floor, and five different kinds of fishing.” The map divides the world’s oceans into square kilometer parcels and rates them using impact scores ranging from 0 to 20.

The analysis showed that over 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities and few if any areas remain untouched.

For the full press release, click here.