Are existing tools sufficient to tackle the marine biodiversity crisis? | Science

Marine biodiversity underpins the functioning of marine ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity. Paradoxically, despite our deep dependence on biodiversity, we are rapidly declining it and we are asking ourselves whether as a society we have the tools to address it. Thus the fate of marine biodiversity largely depends on the interaction of science, policy, society and industry. All of these areas depend on knowledge to support our economic, cultural, social and environmental well-being. Knowledge comes from transforming data into usable and actionable information, and data is derived from continuous observations that are driven by the needs of policy, society, industry, and science. This interconnectedness across sectors represents both an opportunity for better coordination towards sustainable development and a challenge in the form of negotiating potentially competing priorities. Each of these sectors plays an important role in developing tools to help tackle the biodiversity crisis.