Protect the ‘beating blue heart of our planet’

April 14 2019 — Seychelles President Danny Faure makes the first-ever live speech from an underwater submersible, pleading for better marine protection. “From 124m below the surface of the ocean it is a privilege to address you, citizens of the world. From the bleating blue heart of our planet. At this depth, I can see not only the incredible beauty of our ocean, but the care that it urgently needs to stay this way,” he says. Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. Small island nations are among the most vulnerable to the rise in sea levels caused by climate change. Faure’s striking speech is delivered during a visit to an ambitious British-led science expedition exploring the Indian Ocean depths off Desroches Island. “It is not just because I am from paradise [on] Earth that I have a special relationship with the sea — the sea has a special relationship with all of us. It keeps the planet alive, it keeps us alive, and it is clear to me that it is under threat like never before.

Two-thirds of our planet is blue. This ocean is the world’s largest ecosystem. It generates half of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs more than 30% of the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.” But it remains mostly uncharted. We have better maps of Mars than we do of the ocean floor, says Faure. “This issue is bigger than all of us, and we cannot wait for the next generation to solve it. We are running out of excuses to not take action, and running out of time.” Picture: Faure addresses the UN General Assembly on September 25 2019.