Introduction of the Starfish Barometer: Inaugural World Ocean Health Bulletin Unveiled to Heads of State and Governments at UNOC3

This Sunday, June 8, 2025, on the occasion of World Ocean Day and the 3rd United Nations Conference on the Ocean (UNOC3), is officially launched the Starfish barometer.

Why Starfish?

That's right… why?

Well because the starfish (starfish in English) is a powerful and very telling visual metaphor. His five arms represent the essential dimensions of the relationship with the ocean: the health of the marine environment, human pressures, societal impacts, protection efforts and the benefits that the ocean gives humanity.

By evoking this animal, the Starfish barometer intends to speak to the widest possible public. Thus, anyone can become aware of the state of health of the ocean and its evolution. This is the second objective of this barometer: guide the action and raise awareness.

Have an eye on the ocean constants

Understanding what's going on below is not necessarily easy. Especially since many parameters are to be taken into account and that you can easily get lost.

The objective of the Starfish barometer is therefore to synthesize complex and dispersed data into clear and usable information, highlighting major trends, alert signals as well as the major challenges and opportunities with which the ocean is confronted.

Thus, decision -makers as citizens will be able to benefit from the data issued by the Starfish barometer to find out the procedure and the most urgent challenges to take up the ocean.

A long-term vision: follow the commitments of UNOC3

But more than an observation at the moment T, the Starfish barometer also intends to be a long -term roadmap on the actions to be carried out so that we can take advantage of the ocean in a lasting way.

It will therefore allow scientific data to actively participate in the development of marine policies, in particular with regard to major ocean issues:

• The extension of protected marine areas
• eradication of plastic pollution
• promoting sustainable fishing
• The decarbonation of maritime transport

Thus, each year, citizens as decision -makers will be able to see their progress made in certain areas and those they will have to achieve for the years to come. Thus, a small gesture after small gesture, on the part of each of the actors, with the help of the Starfish barometer, we will be able to destine ourselves towards an ocean in better health that we can exploit without danger.

Understand the state of health of the ocean thanks to the Starfish barometer

Today, the ocean is going badly, here are some data to realize it:

• Since 1901, the average level of the oceans has increased by 23 cm
• It is increasingly hot, this results in a loss of oxygen and acidification in water which threatens marine life
• 1677 species are threatened with disappearance of which ⅓ sharks and more than ¼ of cetaceans, especially due to overfishing and climate change
• Corals whiten and occupy less and less space

Besides that, CO2 emissions are constantly increasing, unsustainable fishing concerns more ⅓ captures and plastic pollution is experiencing record levels each year.

However, humanity depends on the ocean and that, added to all the other information that we have today thanks to the Starfish barometer, therefore makes the actions all the more urgent for “Preserve the ocean for future generations”, As Marina Lévy explained who co-directed the 2025 edition of the Starfish barometer.