The health of an ocean ecosystem can be measured in various ways, including the clearness of the water, the diversity of flora and fauna, the condition of beaches, and the opportunities provided by recreational activities such as boat tours and seaside hotel resorts. One way to quantify the health of ocean ecosystems is through the annual Ocean Health Index, which assesses the benefits provided by oceans to individuals and societies.
According to the most recent data, four out of five of the lowest-scoring countries with more than 100,000 residents are located in Africa and the Middle East. Eritrea ranks lowest out of 220 nations and regions analyzed with an index score of 54.8, followed by the Ivory Coast and the Republic of the Congo with scores of 54.9 and 55.9 points respectively. These countries score poorly on various sub-indices such as food provision, coastal protection, natural products, carbon storage, biodiversity and tourism and recreation among others.
On a brighter note, some islands off Africa’s eastern coast have different stories to tell. For example, Seychelles ranks first among countries with more than 100,000 residents with an index score of 86.6 points. Mayotte places third with 83.9 points while Portugal is Europe’s only country in top ten overall ranking along with Russia when considering only countries over a hundred thousand population size. The global average index score is currently at 73.5 points up from its inaugural mark by 13%.
The Ocean Health Index assesses how well ocean systems are providing people with
