PROTECTION

Government actions affect the waters.

Sri Lanka’s lax regulations have likely led

to damage near Colombo, while protected zones near the Mariana Trench help limit harm there.

HOT SPOTS

The darkest swaths—in the East China

and North Seas, for instance—reflect

a combination of detrimental factors, including the effects of climate change. Shipping lanes also leave trails of accumulated pollution.

HUMANS AND THE OCEAN

Anthropogenic pressures—including

open-sea and deep-water fishing, commercial shipping, and climate change—damage ocean habitats.