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The Atlantic ocean – Earth’s second largest ocean basin – covers roughly 20% of the Earth’s surface, spanning 106 million square kilometers. It is one of the most ecologically important bodies of water, touching the shores of four continents: Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. It plays a critical role in regulating global climate patterns, acting as a vast heat conveyer through currents like the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and supports some of the richest fisheries and most diverse marine ecosystems on Earth.
In addition to its ecological significance, the Atlantic underpins livelihoods across continents. It facilitates transatlantic shipping, sustains regional economies through fishing, tourism and offshore energy, and remains vital for global trade.
Climate Stressors: Warming, Sea Level Rise, and Acidification
Climate change is increasingly impacting the Atlantic Ocean. The northeastern Atlantic has experienced consistent warming, with sea surface temperatures rising at a rate of 0.25 ± 0.03 °C per decade, surpassing the global average. Additionally, the ocean’s absorption of excess atmospheric CO₂ is leading to increased acidification, affecting marine life and ecosystems.
Intensifying Hurricanes
Warmer Atlantic waters are fueling more intense tropical storms. Since the 1970s, the number of storms escalating into category 4 or 5 hurricanes has roughly doubled in the North Atlantic.This trend is attributed to higher sea surface temperatures, which provide more energy for tropical storm formation and intensification, leaving affected regions and communities with less time for preparation or evacuation.
AMOC: Approaching a Tipping Point?
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)—a key ocean current that helps regulate global climate—is weakening, and scientists overwhelmingly agree on that much.
Over the past few decades scientists have been tracking AMOC, and findings show that it is slowing down, a change which would have devastating impacts on our climate. Scientists attribute the slowing down to global warming, particularly via melting ice sheets and the accompanying changes to the salt levels in the Atlantic.
In the last few years, several new studies have come out suggesting AMOC is on course for a tipping point. Most mainstream models, including those cited by the IPCC y Met Office, suggest a full breakdown before 2100 is unlikely, though not impossible. Meanwhile, newer studies using early warning indicators and nonlinear methods argue a collapse could occur as soon as mid-century, especially under continued ice melt and high emissions.
While the exact timeline is uncertain, one thing is clear: the potential consequences—from abrupt cooling in Europe to disrupted monsoons in Africa and rising seas along North America’s coast—are too severe to ignore. Even amid disagreement, scientists globally assess that it has definitely weakened, and the risks demand our urgent attention.
The European Greens: Reforming Fisheries for Sustainability
The European Greens are calling for a fundamental reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which they argue has failed to prevent overfishing, protect marine biodiversity, or support coastal communities—especially in the Atlantic. With most Atlantic and Mediterranean fish stocks overexploited and heavily subsidised EU fleets depleting resources at home and abroad, the Greens demand a shift toward ecological sustainability as the foundation for economic and social outcomes.
Their proposals include:
- Rebuilding fish stocks above Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels.
- Banning discards of marine species.
- Establishing large no-fishing zones to protect spawning grounds.
- Eliminating harmful subsidies and reducing the size and destructive capacity of European fleets.
- Opposing the privatisation of fish stocks and ensuring high environmental and social standards in non-EU waters.
Ireland’s Greens Marine Protection Efforts
During their time in government, Ireland’s Green Party pushed hard to expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) from just 2.3% in 2020 to over 9% by early 2025 through EU conservation designations. They introduced the Marine Protected Areas Bill aiming to legally protect 30% of Ireland’s maritime area by 2030, including nearly 3 million hectares of deep-sea coral ecosystems.
But despite initial Cabinet approval, the bill has yet to pass. While the Greens were voted out in 2024, their legislative groundwork and leadership—especially from Malcolm Noonan and MEP Grace O’Sullivan—remain central to Ireland’s marine policy ambitions. Environmental groups continue to push for the bill’s enactment to ensure this momentum doesn’t stall.
Canada’s Greens and the Global Ocean Treaty
los Partido Verde de Canadá has strongly endorsed the 2023 UN treaty on ocean biodiversity, which will regulate human activity in international waters and establish marine protected areas in the high seas—areas that include parts of the North Atlantic. With vast ocean zones still unprotected and vulnerable to overexploitation, the party emphasised the urgency of safeguarding marine ecosystems beyond national borders. Green Party leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault urged Canada to ratify the treaty quickly and lead its global implementation, highlighting the Atlantic as a critical front in the fight to defend ocean biodiversity from unchecked industrial impact.