The health of an ocean ecosystem is a multifaceted issue that can be evaluated through various factors. These include clear water, diverse flora and fauna, beach conditions, and the employment opportunities provided by recreational activities. To measure the benefits oceans can offer to individuals and society as a whole, researchers use the annual Ocean Health Index.
According to the latest data, countries with low scores in the index are mostly located in Africa and the Middle East. Eritrea ranks lowest with a score of 54.8, followed closely by the Ivory Coast and the Republic of the Congo. These countries perform poorly in several sub-indices, particularly in food provision. Eritrea scores only three points in the livelihoods and economies segment, while both Ivory Coast and Republic of Congo have room for growth in coastal protection sub-index.
However, not all African countries struggle with low scores. There are exceptions such as Seychelles and Mayotte islands off East Africa’s coast. Seychelles ranks first with a score of 86.6, excelling in natural products, carbon storage, tourism and recreation sub-indices. Mayotte ranks third with 83.9 points while Portugal is the only European country in top 10 along with Russia.
The global average index score is 73.5 showing improvement from its initial edition when it was first established in 2012. The Ocean Health Index evaluates various factors like biodiversity, clean water, carbon storage, food provision and tourism to measure how well oceans are providing benefits to people sustainably.
In conclusion, ocean health is an important aspect that should be taken into consideration when developing policies related to marine ecosystems management. It is crucial to understand that sustainable development goals cannot be achieved without taking into account various factors that affect ocean health.
It is also worth noting that there are many ways to improve ocean health beyond just monitoring it through indices like Ocean Health Index or implementing policies related to marine ecosystems management
