The ocean stores about 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere, much of it in the form of what’s known as blue carbon, held by marine ecosystems. By storing carbon in this way, the ocean helps reduce CO₂ in the atmosphere and slows global warming. In other words, the ocean and its inhabitants play a vital role in fighting climate change.

Whales, as a keystone species, help maintain healthy marine ecosystems. Their movement through the water cycles nutrients, and their waste supports the growth of phytoplankton tiny organisms that absorb greenhouse gases. Together, phytoplankton capture an estimated 37 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year, or about 40 percent of global emissions. Whales and sharks also store large amounts of carbon in their bodies, which is sequestered for centuries when they die and sink to the ocean floor.

Other marine species play key roles too. Sea turtles help sustain coral reefs and transport nutrients from the sea to beaches and coastal dunes. Sharks contribute by keeping grazing animals like dugongs and sea turtles in check, which protects seagrass meadows from overgrazing. These meadows are important carbon sinks, helping preserve the ocean’s blue carbon stores.

(Source: IFAW)

The ocean and its inhabitants are vital in slowing climate change, but climate change also threatens whale populations by disrupting their food sources, habitats, and overall health.

Rising ocean temperatures reduce phytoplankton, which zooplankton rely on. Zooplankton are a key food source for whales like the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Melting polar ice further disrupts zooplankton habitats, making food even scarcer.

Toothed whales, such as orcas, are affected as shifting ocean conditions impact fish like salmon. Changes in flooding, stream flow, and water temperature make it harder for whales to find food, increasing stress and draining their energy.

In the Arctic and Antarctic, melting sea ice creates unpredictable conditions for belugas. They risk becoming trapped under shifting ice or cut off from prey, sometimes with fatal consequences.

Warmer waters also worsen pollution, raising the concentration of plastics and chemicals. This increases the risk of whales ingesting harmful contaminants, which can damage their health.

(Source: IFAW)

One way we can protect the ocean and its ability to capture carbon is by conserving the high seas the large swaths of ocean that lie outside national jurisdiction and cover half of our planet’s surface. Once in force, the UN High Seas Treaty will enable the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in these parts of the ocean. This represents the largest habitat on Earth, home to millions of species, and one of our greatest allies against climate change.

An MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity. Many MPAs allow people to use the area in ways that do not damage the environment, while others do not allow human presence at all. Today there are over 5,000 MPAs around the world but only 1% of the high seas are currently protected.

The UN High Seas Treaty is an international treaty adopted in 2023 under the auspices of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The new treaty is significant because for the first time ever, it creates a mechanism for establishing MPAs on the high seas. This charts a course to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 – a target agreed upon as part of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

IFAW is part of the High Seas Alliance (HSA), which is rallying for at least 60 countries to have ratified the High Seas Treaty by the UN Ocean Conference in June this year in Nice, France, to achieve this ambitious target. So far, 31 countries have ratified the treaty, but 60 countries are needed for the treaty to enter into force. (Source: IFAW)

Protect the ocean that protects us discover how you can take action today and help secure a healthy, climate-resilient future for all.

Fifteen Ways to Protect the Ocean Marine Animals