Study's look at oceans is sobering

Researchers from UNC-CH and elsewhere find that human influences are pervasive and harmful

Wade Rawlins, Staff Writer

Despite the oceans' vast expanse across 70 percent of the Earth, their every reach is affected by human activities, a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and others says.

The study, published today in the journal Science, says that over 40 percent of the world's oceans are suffering from multiple human influences, including overfishing, pollution, climate change and commercial shipping traffic. And no part of the deep blue sea is entirely unaffected, the scientists found.

The team of scientists from the United States, Great Britain and Canada synthesized global data to see how 17 human functions threaten marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, sea grass beds and continental shelves.