How the ‘Blue Acceleration’ is Supercharging Ocean Exploitation

As pressures on Earth’s land grow and terrestrial resources look increasingly exhausted, governments and corporations are increasingly turning to the deep ocean for mineral exploration, shipping, energy, tourism, desalination, cable laying, bioprospecting, and much more. John Virdin, director of the Oceans and Coastal Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, was among the experts who spoke to New Scientist for a cover story on how the rapid increase in ocean-based industry can be balanced with vital environmental protections.

As part of the article, Virdin and Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, discussed the 2021 paper they co-authored that found 100 transnational corporations take in 60 percent of the revenues in eight core ocean industries.