Chapter 32
Development of International Cooperation
in Oceanography: Incentives from Science,
Services, Economy and Security
Gunnar Kullenberg
Abstract The ocean acts as the great integrator of the Planet through transport,
redistribution and even recycling of heat, freshwater, chemicals, organisms and
other organic material, and much if not most material and waste resulting from
human activities. The role of the ocean is acknowledged in the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS. This constitutes “a comprehensive
regime dealing with all matters relating to the law of the sea. . .bearing in mind that
the problems of ocean space are closely related and need be considered as a whole”.
Marine research is addressed in a separate part of the Law of the Sea, part xiii. This
includes stipulations on international cooperation, which should stimulate the ocean
science community, just as the fact of a separate chapter in a major international
law ought to raise the status of oceanography in Governments.
However, UNCLOS entered into force at the end of 1994 and international
cooperation in ocean research and observations has been in progressive development for about 150 years. Its success is well demonstrated through global
programmes addressing many issues of great importance for environment, development, economy, services and security. The results together with related technological developments concern transport and maritime safety, fisheries, mariculture
and food security, climate and global change, infrastructure and coastal protection,
warning systems for tsunamis and other hazards from the ocean, forecasting of
climate-related phenomena like El Nino and the Indian Ocean Monsoon, marine
pollution and related effects, availability and economy of non-living marine
resources. Some highlights of this international cooperation and the associated
institutional developments are presented.
The main aim of the paper is to elucidate incentives and their implications for the
development of the cooperation. These are related to scientific necessity in view of
the ocean dynamics as well as to the dependence of human development and society
on the ocean, coastal areas, the marine environment as a whole and its resources.
Apart from the scientific need these incentives concern the issues referred to,
together with sustainable development, including of the ocean economy. By
G. Kullenberg (*)
IOC, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands, Stromstad Academy, Stromstad, Sweden
e-mail: gkullenberg@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_32
529
Development of International Cooperation
in Oceanography: Incentives from Science,
Services, Economy and Security
Gunnar Kullenberg
Abstract The ocean acts as the great integrator of the Planet through transport,
redistribution and even recycling of heat, freshwater, chemicals, organisms and
other organic material, and much if not most material and waste resulting from
human activities. The role of the ocean is acknowledged in the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS. This constitutes “a comprehensive
regime dealing with all matters relating to the law of the sea. . .bearing in mind that
the problems of ocean space are closely related and need be considered as a whole”.
Marine research is addressed in a separate part of the Law of the Sea, part xiii. This
includes stipulations on international cooperation, which should stimulate the ocean
science community, just as the fact of a separate chapter in a major international
law ought to raise the status of oceanography in Governments.
However, UNCLOS entered into force at the end of 1994 and international
cooperation in ocean research and observations has been in progressive development for about 150 years. Its success is well demonstrated through global
programmes addressing many issues of great importance for environment, development, economy, services and security. The results together with related technological developments concern transport and maritime safety, fisheries, mariculture
and food security, climate and global change, infrastructure and coastal protection,
warning systems for tsunamis and other hazards from the ocean, forecasting of
climate-related phenomena like El Nino and the Indian Ocean Monsoon, marine
pollution and related effects, availability and economy of non-living marine
resources. Some highlights of this international cooperation and the associated
institutional developments are presented.
The main aim of the paper is to elucidate incentives and their implications for the
development of the cooperation. These are related to scientific necessity in view of
the ocean dynamics as well as to the dependence of human development and society
on the ocean, coastal areas, the marine environment as a whole and its resources.
Apart from the scientific need these incentives concern the issues referred to,
together with sustainable development, including of the ocean economy. By
G. Kullenberg (*)
IOC, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands, Stromstad Academy, Stromstad, Sweden
e-mail: gkullenberg@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_32
529