The Ocean and Us provides an overview of our contemporary understanding of the ocean and all the ways our lives interact with it. It is intended for everyone with an interest in our blue planet. The book brings together the expertise of over 35 ocean specialists from around the world. It explores a wide variety of themes including the importance of a healthy ocean in the fight to halt and contain climate change. It covers issues such as overfishing and pollution, as well as emerging themes such as the blue economy, marine animal welfare and how we can leverage innovation to protect the ocean. The book provides an overview of some of the world’s iconic threatened and at risk ocean ecosystems, and outlines current governance structures and ocean management tools. It also discusses the important social dimensions between people and the ocean, such as ocean and human wellbeing, communities and the ocean, and who gets to participate in the ocean space. The book aims to enhance ocean literacy by making specialist concepts accessible to non-experts, with a view to empowering concerned citizens everywhere to come into action for the ocean, and pave a better way forward for humanity..

1 Introduction to Climate Change
2 Warming, Acidification and Deoxygenation of the Ocean
3 Blue Carbon
4 Fishes and Carbon
5 Whales and Climate
6 State of the World’s Fisheries—Legal Overfishing
7 Fish Crimes (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing)
8 Aquaculture: Farming Food from the Sea
9 Shark Fishing and Shark Finning
10 The Move to Sustainable Seafood
11 Plastic and the Oceanپ
12 Shipping and the Ocean
13 Oil Spills
14 Ocean Noise Pollution
15 The Deep Sea
16 Coral Reefs
17 Antarctica and the Southern Ocean: Our Last Great Wilderness
18 Top of the World—The Arctic Ocean
19 Coastal Habitats
20 Ocean Governance
21 Marine Protected Areas
22 Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Blue Economy
23 Leveraging Innovation for Ocean Conservation
24 Oceans and Communities
25 Tourism and the Ocean
26 The Aquarium Trade
27 Marine Animal Welfare: A Growing Concern
28 Ocean and Human Health
29 Gender and the Ocean: Marine Resources and Spaces for All
30 Racial-Gender Disparities, and the Impacts of Coloniality in Ocean Science on BIPOC Women
31 Lived Experiences: Editors’ Note
32 Inspiring Voices: Inka Cresswell, Jamila Janna, Merrisa Naidoo, Louisa Ponnampalam, Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy, Jo Ruxton MBE, Marilyn Slett, Patima Tungpuchayakul