The blue acceleration

Does humanity’s future lie in the ocean? As demand for resources continues to grow and land-based sources decline, expectations for the ocean as an engine of human development are increasing. Claiming marine resources and space is not new to humanity, but the extent, intensity and diversity of today’s aspirations are unprecedented. Scientists describe this as the blue acceleration – a race among diverse and often competing interests for ocean food, material and space.

Oil and gas

Design: Geoff Dahl

Words and data: Jouffray et al. ‘The blue acceleration: the trajectory of human expansion into the ocean.’ One Earth 2.1 (2020): 43–54”