One Earth
Volume 2, Issue 1, 24 January 2020, Pages 43-54
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Perspective
The Blue Acceleration: The Trajectory of Human Expansion into the Ocean

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2019.12.016Get rights and content
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Does humanity's future lie in the ocean? As demand for resources continues to grow and land-based sources decline, expectations for the ocean as an engine of human development are increasing. Claiming marine resources and space is not new to humanity, but the extent, intensity, and diversity of today's aspirations are unprecedented. We describe this as the blue acceleration—a race among diverse and often competing interests for ocean food, material, and space. Exploring what this new reality means for the global ocean and how to steer it in a sustainable and equitable way represents an urgent challenge.

Keywords:

Anthropocene
blue economy
blue growth
equity
governance
marine ecosystems
ocean
Goal 14
stewardship
sustainability

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