SeaKeepers attend ZSL lecture “Nature in the Balance: Earth System Tipping Points and Their Implications”

Overview

On February 11, 2025, The International SeaKeepers Society UK Office attended the lecture titled "Nature in the Balance: Earth System Tipping Points and their Implications”, hosted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Institute of Zoology at their London Zoo site. The talk was chaired by Matthew Gould, CEO at ZSL, with short talks from Paul Pearce-Kelly, Senior Curator, Invertebrates and Fish at ZSL, Dr Chris Yesson, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Zoology at ZSL, Rachel Jones, Marine Science Programme Manager at ZSL, and the keynote talk from Professor Sir David King, Emeritus Professor at the University of Cambridge. These talks provided an overview of the potential impacts of various stressors on marine ecosystems, with particular focus on temperature and coral reefs, and the importance of considering whole system sensitivity when evaluating its response to the changing climate. The session ended with a panel discussion, which emphasised that the time to act is now as humanity’s future is at stake, and that climate and biodiversity loss are the same issue, therefore we must implement both protective and restorative measures now. As a publicly-attended lecture, this session proved the importance of engaging the community in scientific research in order to raise awareness for major conservation issues and inspire widespread action.

The International SeaKeepers Society attended the “Nature in the Balance: Earth System Tipping Points and their Implications” lecture to connect with current academic partners and gather relevant information about ongoing research initiatives.