What is the Blue Economy?

The Blue Economy is an emerging focus area for sustainable development given the crucial role it plays in development and improving livelihoods. The coasts are among the most populated and developed land zones globally, with over 600 million people living in areas less than 10 meters above sea level and more than 2.4 billion residing within 100 km of the coast , according to the UN. The Blue Economy is comprised of water and ocean-based industries, natural assets, and ecosystem services and are an immense resource for economic growth, employment, and discoveries. Marine and freshwater ecosystems represent natural capital, non-market flows, and services. How the Blue Economy is realized has important implications for the social, environmental, and economic health of coastal and indeed all areas. Importantly, the Blue Economy can impact climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. Effectively leveraging the Blue Economy for positive development outcomes necessarily entails rethinking how we interact with our oceans. Typically, blue economies are categorized into two types : there are mature blue industries, such as maritime transport, shipbuilding, and port infrastructure, fishing, and offshore platforms for hydrocarbon extraction, and there are emerging blue industries, such as renewable marine energy production (or “blue energy”), maritime biotechnology (or “blue biotechnology”), subsea mapping and mining, and numerous forms of aquaculture.

The concept of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), adopted at the 3rd United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982-2012), enables a coastal state to exert jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, typically extending 200 miles from shore. This jurisdiction entails sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage natural resources, living or nonliving, within the seabed, subsoil, and superjacent waters, as well as activities related to the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as energy production from water, currents, and winds. Many developing countries have more water than land under their jurisdiction and could realize significant development gains from better managing these aquatic resources.

The following webapp includes two tabs, allowing the users to visualize ‘Exclusive Economic Zones categorized into 200NM, Overlapping Regime and the Joint Regime’ through the first tab and an interactive chart on ‘Land Area vs EEZ Area’ through the second tab.

EEZ WebApp Portfolio

The following sections detail deep dives in the Blue Economy. The deep dives provide data and information on four primary sectors of the Blue Economy: fisheries & aquaculture; marine & oceanic pollution; seascape management; and oceanic economic sectors.

“Deep Dives” into the Blue Economy

This section provides information on important pillars of the Blue Economy: fisheries and aquaculture, marine and oceanic pollution, seascape management, and oceanic sectors.

Fisheries & Aquaculture

Fisheries and aquaculture are an important economic engine in many parts of the world, providing food and livelihoods for many people. Global production of aquatic animals was estimated at 178 million tons in 2020, a slight decrease from the record of 179 million tons in 2018. Of this total, capture fisheries contributed 90 million tons (51 percent) and a rapidly rising aquaculture 88 million tons (49 percent). In 2020, an estimated 58.5 million people were engaged as workers in fisheries and aquaculture, and of these approximately 21 percent were women. By sector, 35 percent were employed in aquaculture and 65 percent in capture fisheries (FAO,2022). Official statistics do not include illegal fishing activities, because they cannot be registered as official landings ( Pauly and Zeller, 2016)

Artisanal fishing comprises 90% of all fishing jobs worldwide, approximately 45% of the world's fisheries, and nearly one quarter of the world catch, leading to a value added of artisanal capture fisheries of around USD 18 billion annually, mostly in Africa and Asia, where the majority of artisanal fishery activities take place (Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)).

Improved management of fisheries globally, including managing the level of global fishing effort, could allow stocks to recover and improve sustainable productivity (World Bank, 2017). Emerging threats of climate change also threaten global fisheries (World Bank, 2022).

The following webapp includes four tabs, allowing the users to visualize ‘Fish and Seafood Production’ through the first tab, ‘Fisheries Production (filter by country type and production type' through the second tab, ‘Wild fish catch vs aquaculture’ through the third tab and ‘Capture Fisheries Production vs Aquaculture Production’ through the fourth tab.

Fisheries WebApp Portfolio

Marine & Oceanic Pollution

Ocean pollution is an escalating global issue, which primarily results from land-based human activities, particularly along coastlines, contributing to increased nonpoint source pollution , such as runoff and other pollutant sources like septic tanks and vehicles. This pollution leads to alarming marine debris levels, and point source pollution further exacerbates the problem. Toxic chemicals and plastics in the ocean bio-accumulate in fish, disrupt ecological balances, and pose threats to biodiversity. Persistent organic pollutants can also travel far from their sources due to their durability, and climate changes can introduce non-indigenous species, disrupting ecosystem functioning.

Scientists measure chlorophyll concentration because they provide information on plant abundance within a given area. Phytoplankton is a microscopic plant containing pigment chlorophyll, used to convert sunlight into energy that the plant can use. Satellites detect chlorophyll concentrations since it reflects green and infrared light but absorbs most spectrum of light. Phytoplankton abundance leads to blooms that occur every spring in the North Atlantic. However, it could also create harmful algal bloom or billions of phytoplankton die and decaying over a few days will create oxygen dead zones that will kill fish and marine organisms.

Plastics

Plastics are becoming a special focus of global attention as microplastics are being found everywhere. Plastics account for 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments, they are a leading cause of marine and ocean pollution. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide, with at least 14 million tons ending up in the ocean each year. This plastic debris mainly originates from land-based activities such as urban trash and stormwater runoff, sewer overflows, littering, inadequate waste disposal and management, industrial activities, tyre abrasion, construction, and illegal dumping. Ocean-based plastic pollution, on the other hand, predominantly comes from the fishing industry, nautical activities, and aquaculture.

The debris inflicts severe injuries and death to marine species through ingestion or entanglement and undermines the production capacity of oceans and various ecosystem functions and services. Plastic pollution poses threats to food safety and quality, human health, and coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change. Addressing marine plastic pollution urgently requires new technological solutions and strengthened implementation of existing legally binding agreements. The lack of functional infrastructure to prevent plastic pollution, including sanitary landfills, recycling capacity, incineration facilities, circular economy infrastructure, integrated waste, and coastal zone management in many countries, contributes to 'plastic leakage' into oceans and marine ecosystems

The following webapp includes a couple of tabs, allowing the users to visualize ‘Plastic Concentration and Emission to the Sea' through the first tab and ‘Mismanaged plastic waste per capita vs. GDP per capita' through the second tab.

Seascape Management

Conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity within marine and coastal ecosystems is the essence of seascape biodiversity management. It encompasses the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of the ecosystems and species found within a specific seascape or marine region by supporting sustainable human activities within these ecosystems. This, in consideration of all the aspects of marine conservation (socio-economic, ecological and others). Strategies including ecosystem-based approach which aims to maintain or restore the overall health and functioning of the ecosystem, protected areas approach with the establishment of marine protected areas, fisheries management, habitat conservation and restoration and more are at the core of seascape biodiversity management.

The planning and implementation of strategies to manage and mitigate the impacts of storms on coastal areas are at the center of coastal storm management. The damages caused by storms such as hurricanes, cyclones and others are so significant to coastal communities, natural ecosystems and infrastructures that their effective management is crucial to minimize the risks and ensure the resilience of coastal areas. Collaboration between government agencies, local communities, scientists, and stakeholders is crucial for effective management and adaptation to changing coastal conditions. Coastal storm management should be approached with a long-term perspective and should consider the potential impacts of climate change, including sea level rise and increased storm intensity. Risk assessment of coastal areas, coastal planning and design, coastal defense systems, early warning systems, emergency preparedness and response, conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems and public education and awareness are some of the key aspects of coastal storm management.

Blue carbon management refers to the conservation and sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes in consideration of their contribution to carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. These ecosystems are highly efficient at capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Their protection and restoration are achieved through management strategies including conservation of protected areas, marine reserves and more, monitoring and research related to ecosystems’ carbon storage capacity and sequestration rates, integrated coastal zone management, public participation and stakeholder engagement, carbon market mechanisms and more. Blue carbon management allows not only the systematic appraisal of carbon sequestration potential of coastal and marine ecosystems to mitigate climate change, but also the safeguard of biodiversity, sustainable livelihoods, and coastal communities’ protection from the impacts of climate change.

Oceanic Sectors

The sustainable use of oceans for agriculture and energy holds vast potential. Farming seaweed , which makes up just 2% of oceans, could provide the world with food, organic fertilizer for agriculture, alternatives to plastics, and ingredients for cosmetics and medications. Moreover, seaweed helps combat ocean pollution by absorbing undersea nitrates and phosphates. Offshore farming faces challenges such as lack of space near shorelines and licensing difficulties, but successful implementation could greatly improve marine ecosystems. In the energy sector, offshore oil and gas production generated substantial economic value, but also accounts for 3% of global emissions. The sector faces the challenge of developing zero-carbon fuels and technologies at a scale suitable for adoption. Meanwhile, offshore wind and wave energy hold significant promise but require further research and policy support for large-scale development.

Maritime transport is a significant contributor to global pollution due to its heavy reliance on bunker oil, a high Sulphur dioxide emitting fuel. International regulations are prompting innovation and the cleaning up of operations within the industry. However, shipping, responsible for 3% of global emissions, lacks access to zero-carbon fuels and technologies at the scale needed for broad adoption. Other areas of marine activity, such as port operations, shipbuilding, and equipment manufacturing also contribute significantly to economic value and employment globally but face environmental challenges. Tourism and leisure activities related to the ocean are another substantial source of economic value and employment. Finally, the increasing melting of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic presents major challenges, with innovative monitoring methods being developed to track these changes.

Ocean-related tourism and leisure activities, including the cruise industry and new destinations (e.g., Arctic and Antarctica), are an important aspect of the oceanic sector as well. Global direct value added in marine and coastal tourism was estimated at USD 390 billion. Direct employment in 2013 was around 7 million full-time jobs in maritime and coastal tourism (WTTC). According to the UNWTO (2011) , Europe had the highest number of total international tourist arrivals (including land-based tourism), around 480 million, followed by Asia and the Pacific sharing 205 million international tourist arrivals between them. In addition, outbound tourism was highest for Europe, accounting for approximately 509 million international departures. Based on data on the regional distribution of value added European Cruise Council , it was estimated that in 2010, cruise tourism contributed around USD 17.8 billion in direct value added and 150,000 employees. However, this does not include the indirect effects of the cruise industry, which would be substantially higher.

After this overview of the Blue Economy, the next section presents an overview into the exciting and rapidly-evolving world of emerging technology.