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This executive summary previews a forthcoming book on the economic valuation of ocean services and the consequences of global environmental change. It identifies six primary threats to the ocean—acidification, warming, hypoxia, sea level rise, pollution, and overuse of resources—and argues that these stressors often interact synergistically, accelerating ecosystem degradation. The document advocates for a shift from traditional cost-benefit analysis to insurance-based risk models to account for catastrophic tipping points and recommends the appointment of a UN High Commissioner for Oceans to coordinate global governance.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute proposes the BLUE framework to help countries integrate blue carbon ecosystems—specifically mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses—into national climate strategies such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to overcome data and institutional barriers.