World’s largest marine park formed in Ross Sea!
Q. A landmark international agreement has created the world’s largest marine park in which location?- Published on 01 Nov 16a. Indian Ocean
b. Bay of Bengal
c. Ross Sea
d. Pacific Ocean
ANSWER: Ross Sea
A landmark global agreement has created the world’s largest marine park in the Southern Ocean has been brokered in Australia, following five years of compromises and failed negotiations.
- More than 1.5 sq km of the Ross Sea around Antarctica will be protected under the deal brokered between 24 nations and the EU.
- It means 1.1 sq km of it– an area around the size of France and Spain combined– will be set aside as a no-take general protection zone where no fishing is permitted.
- The protections are set to expire in 35 years.
- Agreement came towards the end of 2 weeks of discussion between delegates from 24 countries and EU in Hobart at the annual Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
- This is also the first marine park created in global waters and will set a precedent for further moves to help the world attain the IUCN’s recommendations that 30 percent of the world’s oceans have to be protected.
- The Antarctic protection has been sought because of the vital importance of the Southern Ocean to the world’s natural resources.
- Scientists have estimated that the Southern Ocean produces 3/4th of the nutrients that sustain life in the remaining oceans of the world.
- The region is home to many of the world’s penguin and whales.
- Ross Sea is a deep bay in the Southern Ocean many have considered the intact marine ecosystem on Earth.
- This is a living lab ideally suited for studying the life in the Antarctic and how climate change affects Earth.
