NICE, France — On Sunday, a fleet of research and exploration vessels from across the globe assembled off the coast of Nice, France, marking the commencement of the third U.N. Ocean Conference alongside World Oceans Day. These vessels took to Nice’s picturesque Baie des Anges, also known as the Bay of Angels, to highlight the ocean’s stunning beauty and critical importance. The event, aptly themed “Ocean Wonders,” seeks to remind global leaders of the ocean’s value as they navigate decisions impacting the planet’s future.
Thousands of attendees, including state leaders, scientists, and environmental advocates, have converged in Nice for discussions focused on the escalating threats to ocean health, and the urgent need for action to translate commitments into tangible protection measures. The United Nations has identified these threats as a pressing global emergency for the world’s oceans. These challenges include rising ocean temperatures, plastic pollution’s devastating impact on marine life, and the relentless overfishing and resource depletion.
Currently, a mere 2.7% of the world’s oceans are safeguarded from damaging practices like industrial fishing and deep-sea mining, far short of the targeted 30% by 2030. Among the impressive vessels is the Energy Observer, a catamaran clad in solar panels that achieved a historic circumnavigation powered exclusively by renewable energy. It pioneers zero-emission maritime travel by producing hydrogen fuel through onboard seawater electrolysis.
Notable vessels in the lineup also include France’s Alfred Merlin, dedicated to underwater archaeology; the state-of-the-art research yacht OceanXplorer, owned by a billionaire; and the WWF’s Blue Panda, actively working to chart and conserve the dwindling seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea.
A central focus of the conference is the campaign to ratify the High Seas Treaty, approved in 2023. Should it be enacted, this treaty would empower countries for the first time to create marine protected areas in international waters, which make up nearly two-thirds of the ocean and are currently largely unregulated.
Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, emphasized the treaty’s importance, stating, “The High Seas Treaty is critical to ensuring we can protect biodiversity in the ocean. We’re in the middle of a biodiversity and climate crisis. We absolutely have to protect the ocean to address those crises.” Yet, enforcement in existing protected waters often disappoints, with many countries, including France, facing scrutiny for inadequate regulation and ongoing industrial activities within these supposed safe zones.
Sílvia Tavares, project manager at Oceano Azul Foundation, expressed her concerns, noting, “The ambition is not there, the speed is not there, and the scale has not been there. Moments like UNOC are key to changing that.” Throughout the conference, several nations are anticipated to unveil new marine protected areas, or MPAs, and impose bans on bottom trawling and other harmful practices in their current MPA networks.
The “Ocean Wonders” fleet will stay moored in Nice and available for public viewing until the conference wraps up on June 13.