Sylvia Earle, one of the world’s most famous oceanographers and marine biologists, has raised the alarm over the stark threat posed to ocean ecosystems by climate change and rampant overfishing.
Dr Earle, 89, holds the record for the deepest untethered walk on the sea floor at a depth of 1,250 feet and was the first woman to lead the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in the US.
Speaking to The National on a visit to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, she said the world is “perilously close” to tipping the balance of ocean life.
“We have time but not a lot,” she said. “That's why there's a sense of urgency about protecting what remains of the natural living systems, living deserts, living oceans, coral reefs and the deep sea. Why do we even think of disrupting the deep sea when we have a chance to protect it and keep it safe?”
The impact of fishing and climate change
Earth recorded its hottest year ever last year and Dr Earle spoke of the significant effects that climate change had on ocean life. She said the key was understanding the damage and repairing it, protecting the ocean and restoring stability to what has become an increasingly disrupted system.
“It's not just warming, it's the extremes of hot and cold. It's the unexpected,” said Dr Earle. “Because of the way we have disrupted the atmosphere and the ocean, the living systems, we are now seeing these extremes that are not really favourable to us, and could become so unfavourable that our existence is on the line.”
Dr Earle said that to have a secure, functioning and stable civilisation, we need to be able to anticipate seasons with some predictability. She also criticised overfishing and its damaging impact.
More than one third of all sharks, rays, and chimeras are now at risk of extinction because of overfishing, according to data from the World Wildlife Fund.
“We have taken with such abandon thinking that they [oceans] were infinite in their capacity to recover but now we know that's not true. We have to give them a break,” she said. “Every fish that we take from the wild is a fish that's no longer doing what it does naturally to keep not only itself but the ocean alive.”
Dr Earle said the Earth’s oceans were the planet’s life support system and were now in crisis. She called on people to use their skills and talents to raise awareness and work towards mitigating the problem.
“What are you willing to put into this goal of securing a habitable planet? To me, it's our highest priority,” said Dr Earle. “Nothing else matters. If there's a meltdown of the systems that keep us alive, and it's happening, we are experiencing a meltdown of our life support system. I can hold up the mirror and say, here are the problems and here are the solutions. Nobody can do it all, but everybody can do something.”
She also said there was an urgent need to invest in technology for ocean exploration as only about 10 per cent of the world's oceans have so far been surveyed.
A lifetime of work
Getting knocked over by a wave at the age of three inspired a fascination for the oceans in Dr Earle’s young mind, which turned into a lifelong passion.
“When my family moved to Florida, I was 12 and we lived right on the ocean, and it was part of my life every day,” she said. “I wanted to be an explorer. Children are natural explorers. I wanted to be a scientist. Children are natural scientists. We all start out that way. Somehow, many get turned away from asking questions.”
When Dr Earle started doing fieldwork in the 1950s, scuba equipment was just becoming available and she was one of the few female oceanographers in the world. She described how “innocent” the fish were at the time.
“They'd never seen humans underwater before and they were as curious about me as I was about them,” she said. “It was transformative to see that.”
Ocean conservation - in pictures
What are the biggest challenges?
Dr Earle said ignorance and waste are the two most significant threats to the world's oceans.
“We have treated the ocean as the ultimate place to dump things, to get rid of waste,” she said. “I've had the privilege of being out under the ocean seeing where all that rubbish goes. I've also seen the loss of wildlife because of our ability to find, capture and extract wildlife. Millions of tonnes of wild animals have been taken from the ocean.
“Most people haven't seen what I've seen, the degradation, the gaps, the loss of sharks. We have stripped wildlife out of the ocean. I've been a witness over the decades of extracting wildlife unsustainably, the loss caused by the belief that the ocean is infinite in its way of being able to yield whatever we want to take and to accept whatever we want to put into the ocean.”
An international target, 30 by 30, sets the goal of protecting at least 30 per cent of the land and 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. Dr Earle, however, said we are way off track to achieving that goal.
How can people help?
Dr Earle encouraged people to use their skills to create awareness of climate change or to advocate for saving marine life.
“Look in the mirror. Ask who you are, whether you're a child, a mum, a dad, a teacher, whoever you are, whatever power you've got … use what you have,” she said. “Some people can influence fashion, we should make it cool to want to protect nature.”
She said awareness was the best cause for optimism and it was up to humans to use their knowledge to protect the oceans.
“Every breath we take, every drop of water we drink, every bite of food we take, we are all part of what makes what the planet is and will be,” she said. “We have choices, the fish don't.”
“We have to eat differently if we're going to survive,” she said. “It's a different world. Our habits were OK 1,000 years ago,” she said. “I would never tell people what they should eat but I can say here is the consequence of our habits.
“If we continue to degrade the ocean through what we put in, through what we take out in ignorance, it’s not just the creatures of the sea who will suffer, all life on Earth, including ourselves, will pay the price.”
The impact of climate change in the Middle East – in pictures
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
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THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
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MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
