At the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16), the focus on ocean biodiversity reached new heights, highlighting the pivotal role of global coordination in ocean observing and data accessibility to achieve global biodiversity targets.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 took place in Cali, Colombia from 21 October to 1 November 2024, and marked the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15 in 2022. During this COP16, governments were tasked with reviewing the state of implementation of GBF – a framework that lays out an ambitious path toward achieving a world living in harmony with nature.
In 2022, the GBF established 23 action-oriented global targets to curb biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems by 2050. These include, among others, protecting 30% of land, water, and seas by 2030 (known as the ’30-by-30 agreement’), reducing the introduction of invasive alien species by 50%, maintaining and restoring the genetic diversity within and between populations, mitigating pollution risks to tolerable levels, and integrating biodiversity into policies, regulations, planning, and development processes.
The ocean, Earth’s largest ecosystem, supports a significant portion of the planet’s biodiversity. Its health is critical for meeting global biodiversity goals, and at COP16, ocean biodiversity gained more attention than in previous conferences. This year’s COP featured a dedicated Ocean Day and numerous side events focusing on marine biodiversity and advancing ocean observing efforts.
Ocean observing and information systems: Critical infrastructure to support GBF targets
Increased pressures from human activities and climate change are driving critical changes in the ocean, making urgent action necessary to protect its biodiversity and achieve a sustainable society through the GBF targets. Effective management relies on measurable data, making sustained ocean observations and accessible data vital for informed decision-making.
The UNESCO-IOC-led Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) plays a pivotal role in supporting several GBF targets and indicators by providing essential ocean data. Since 2012, GOOS has coordinated marine biological and ecosystem observations, structured around a set of Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) to monitor marine biodiversity comprehensively. This framework assists parties in implementing key GBF indicators, including nine headline indicators under GBF Targets 2, 3, 6, 7 and 21, which range from assessing the extent of various natural ecosystems to evaluating coastal eutrophication.
Working closely with GOOS is the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), also a part UNESCO-IOC’s under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE). OBIS coordinates ocean biodiversity data and metadata through national, regional and thematic nodes. These ensure that observation streams and data are standardized, quality controlled, integrated and accessible, supporting GBF-related monitoring and policy efforts. Together, GOOS and OBIS are the core elements of the ocean component of a Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS), coordinating, observing, and delivering ocean biodiversity data.
Main outcomes for ocean information at COP16
Several developments related to ocean information, GOOS and OBIS were highlighted in the COP16 decisions. Notably, the conference welcomed the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) guidance on the GBF monitoring framework, which references a Global Biodiversity Observing System. The guidance recognizes that UNESCO-IOC is an essential part of the monitoring framework through GOOS, OBIS and the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS), identified as an observing system for biodiversity in the ocean.
OBIS was also added to the list of tools designed to help countries monitor biodiversity and track progress in ocean, species, and ecosystem protection. Specifically, it was included in the monitoring framework for GBF as a complementary indicator for Goal D (‘Invest and Collaborate’), Target 20 (‘Strengthen Capacity-Building, Technology Transfer, and Scientific and Technical Cooperation for Biodiversity’) and Target 21 (‘Ensure That Knowledge Is Available and Accessible To Guide Biodiversity Action’).
Finally, the conference underscored the alignment between biodiversity and climate strategies, emphasizing that effective ocean conservation requires cooperation across different UN conventions. This was highlighted by calls for better integration of national biodiversity and climate plans, stressing the ocean’s importance in mitigating climate change and supporting adaptation efforts.
Conclusion
As COP16 demonstrated, ocean observing and information systems like GOOS and OBIS are not only a vital support to nations in achieving the ambitious goals set out in the Global Biodiversity Framework, but also for harmonizing strategies across global conventions. Looking ahead, the challenge lies in translating these discussions into impactful policies and sustained actions.
Strengthened international collaboration, continued capacity-building, and enhanced data-sharing will be key to ensuring that the progress made at COP16 evolves into tangible outcomes for national, regional and global biodiversity. Only through such coordinated efforts can we secure the resilience and health of our ocean, contributing to a world that truly lives in harmony with nature.
About GOOS:
The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is the global home of ocean observing expertise. We lead and support a community of international, regional and national ocean observing programmes, governments, UN agencies, research organizations and individual scientists. Our Core Team of expert panels, networks, alliances and projects, supported by the GOOS Office, is in touch with ocean observing and forecasting around the world. We are a programme led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, with UN and science co-sponsors: World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the International Science Council (ISC).
About OBIS:
The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) is the world’s largest open-access database of marine life observations. With contributions from 34 OBIS nodes worldwide, the network unites 1,000 institutions across 99 countries, providing more than 132 million records of nearly 200,000 marine species—from bacteria to whales. Through maps and tools, OBIS allows researchers, policymakers, and the public to freely explore marine biodiversity data by species, geographic area, depth, timeframe, and many other criteria. OBIS emanated from the Census of Marine Life (2000-2010) and was adopted by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in 2009, and is now a programme component of the International Oceanographic Data and Information (IODE) programme, furthering its mission to advance ocean knowledge and foster the protection of marine life for future generations.
About UNESCO-IOC:
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 150 Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science and tsunami warning. The work of the IOC contributes to the mission of UNESCO to promote the advancement of science and its applications to develop knowledge and capacity, key to economic and social progress, the basis of peace and sustainable development.