30,000 sq km ocean area has been modified by human construction:Study

Team Udayavani, Sep 1, 2020, 6:19 PM IST

Scientists have found that around 30,000 square kilometres ocean area, about 0.008% of the ocean, has been modified by human construction

A new study led by University of Sydney School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science has found that the extent of modification is, proportion-wise, greater than the global area of some natural marine habitats, like mangrove forests and seagrass beds.

According to a report by Cosmos, they gathered data and made calculations to estimate the physical footprint and area of seascape modification around marine construction as of 2018, including future trends.

This included 11 categories of activity, gas and oil rigs, subsea pipelines, wind farms, wave and tidal farms, telecommunication cables, aquaculture, commercial ports, tunnels and bridges, breakwaters, recreational marinas, and artificial reefs.