The current A-level specifications were written more than 10 years ago and first taught in 2016. Many topics have changed since then and it is useful to revisit these and make sure our understanding is up to date. This ‘Essential Topic Update’ analyses the health of the oceans, a critical part of the carbon cycle and a key resource for humans.
The world’s five vast oceans cover 71% of Earth’s surface and are part of the global commons (see Box 1). Beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast, called the high seas, no country has sovereignty over the ocean. This lack of ownership and responsibility seems to have combined with their vast scale to cause humans to treat the oceans as a dumping ground for waste.
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