An index to assess the health and benefits of the global ocean

Benjamin S. Halpern (), Catherine Longo, Darren Hardy, Karen L. McLeod, Jameal F. Samhouri, Steven K. Katona, Kristin Kleisner, Sarah E. Lester, Jennifer O’Leary, Marla Ranelletti, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Courtney Scarborough, Elizabeth R. Selig, Benjamin D. Best, Daniel R. Brumbaugh, F. Stuart Chapin, Larry B. Crowder, Kendra L. Daly, Scott C. Doney, Cristiane Elfes, Michael J. Fogarty, Steven D. Gaines, Kelsey I. Jacobsen, Leah Bunce Karrer, Heather M. Leslie, Elizabeth Neeley, Daniel Pauly, Stephen Polasky, Bud Ris, Kevin St Martin, Gregory S. Stone, Ussif Sumaila and Dirk Zeller
Additional contact information
Benjamin S. Halpern: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300
Catherine Longo: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300
Darren Hardy: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300
Karen L. McLeod: COMPASS, Oregon State University
Jameal F. Samhouri: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington 98112, USA
Steven K. Katona: Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive
Kristin Kleisner: Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Colombia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Sarah E. Lester: Marine Science Institute, University of California
Jennifer O’Leary: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300
Marla Ranelletti: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300
Andrew A. Rosenberg: Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive
Courtney Scarborough: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300
Elizabeth R. Selig: Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive
Benjamin D. Best: Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University
Daniel R. Brumbaugh: Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History
F. Stuart Chapin: Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska
Larry B. Crowder: Center for Ocean Solutions and Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
Kendra L. Daly: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida
Scott C. Doney: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Cristiane Elfes: Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara
Michael J. Fogarty: Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Steven D. Gaines: Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California
Kelsey I. Jacobsen: Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California
Leah Bunce Karrer: Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive
Heather M. Leslie: Box 1943, Brown University
Elizabeth Neeley: COMPASS, University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences
Daniel Pauly: Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Colombia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Stephen Polasky: University of Minnesota, 1994 Buford Avenue, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
Bud Ris: New England Aquarium, Central Wharf
Kevin St Martin: Rutgers University, 54 Joyce Kilmer Drive, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
Gregory S. Stone: Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive
Dirk Zeller: Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Colombia V6T 1Z4, Canada

Nature, 2012, vol. 488, issue 7413, 615-620

Abstract: Abstract The ocean plays a critical role in supporting human well-being, from providing food, livelihoods and recreational opportunities to regulating the global climate. Sustainable management aimed at maintaining the flow of a broad range of benefits from the ocean requires a comprehensive and quantitative method to measure and monitor the health of coupled human–ocean systems. We created an index comprising ten diverse public goals for a healthy coupled human–ocean system and calculated the index for every coastal country. Globally, the overall index score was 60 out of 100 (range 36–86), with developed countries generally performing better than developing countries, but with notable exceptions. Only 5% of countries scored higher than 70, whereas 32% scored lower than 50. The index provides a powerful tool to raise public awareness, direct resource management, improve policy and prioritize scientific research.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1038/nature11397

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