The ocean is acknowledged for the goods and services it provides and viewed with appreciation and opportunity. People understand our impact on the sea and its life-supporting role for us and society acts in accordance with this view. We recognise that cleaning our Ocean and addressing SDG 14, Life Below Water, we also contribute to SDG 15, Life on Land. Technology is used to prevent, filter, clean, repair and restore our shores, the water column and the seabed floor. The demand for re-useable, less-toxic and less-packaged products means that manufactures have shifted to sustainable production and packaging of goods, contributing to the achievement of SDG 12, responsible production and consumption. Government standards require recycled materials to be used in the manufacturing of new products, and there is a viable, thriving circular economy. Citizen scientists roam the shores, reporting and sharing their data with the world. Volunteer community groups continue to clean the beaches of rubbish and are starting to collect fewer items each visit. Guided by science and indigenous knowledge, politicians adopt the precautionary principle and our laws are equitable, enforced and effective. Wealthy nations have started to responsibly manage their waste and are gradually ceasing exports of their waste to poorer nations. Across the globe more and more regions, cities and industries are meeting SDG targets, adopting sustainable practices that suit their culture and landscape. Breeding grounds for marine mammals are protected from noise propagating devices and the revegetation of inland waterways and wetlands are progressing. Shifts to more sustainable agricultural practices have removed the reliance on large applications of fertilisers and as such eutrophication events are falling. The health and well-being of communities and life is on the rise.
Box 1 : The method resulted in two futures, which focuses on pollutants outlined in Table 1. The two futures are told here in a narrative format. The Business-as-usual (BAU) future has been informed by current trends and predictions in marine pollution. The Technically Feasible Sustainable Future imagines what the future may be like should we implement the actions outlined in this paper.