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© Apasciuto / Flickr
They represent 71% of the surface of the globe, 97% of its water and they play an essential role for life on Earth. Not just for our survival, but also the planet's: in terms of biodiversity, regulating the climate, and providing essential resources. Yet as dependent as we are on oceans, they are being constantly damaged by human activity.

What do we know about oceans and the steps that we can take to contribute to their restoration? COP28 participants try this week to address the needs of a world that we urgently need to understand better.

15 Reasons to (finally!) take care of the oceans

Life on Earth depends on the water around it. The seas and oceans play key roles in protecting our biodiversity, regulating the climate and producing oxygen vital for life. But human activity is causing an upheaval in the ocean’s equilibrium and in the planet's balance as a whole. 

 

2  A smart app for sustainable fishing in Mexico

The Mexican NGO Cobi and local fishers have developed a new smart phone app that enables fishers to track and monitor animal populations, including birds, sea mammals, fish, and crustaceans. An innovation featured at this year's One Ocean Summit in NW France. 

 

8Clean Oceans: Setting sail for waste-free waterways 

To combat the proliferation of plastic plaguing the world’s oceans, AFD has teamed up with the European Investment Bank and Germany’s development bank, KfW. They are committed to the Clean Oceans initiative to support programs that collect and treat waste before it reaches major waterways.

3Preserving the world's oceans: 4 AFD initiatives

Around the world, AFD supports initiatives that aim to protect oceans and the people who depend on them. We take a look at four projects, from Fiji to Togo, which reduce plastic pollution, promote sustainable fishing, support marine protected areas - and more.