Ocean scientists are calling on governments to invest billions of dollars by 2015 in a new system to monitor the seas and provide alerts for various threats such as tsunamis and acidification caused by climate change. They argue that improved oversight would have significant economic benefits by helping to understand the impact of activities like over-fishing and changes in weather patterns. A scientific alliance known as Oceans United will be presenting this request to governments meeting in Beijing on Nov. 3-5 to discuss a goal set at a 2002 U.N. Earth Summit to establish a new monitoring system for the planet's health. Jesse Ausubel, a founder of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) which leads the alliance, emphasized the urgency of measuring the changes occurring in the world's oceans. POGO stated that establishing a global ocean monitoring system would require $10 to $15 billion initially, with an additional $5 billion in yearly operating expenses. Tony Knap, a leader of POGO, mentioned that currently, between $1 and $3 billion is allocated for ocean monitoring. Knap acknowledged that the proposed funding may seem excessive during a time of financial constraints, but emphasized that it could prevent even greater losses. In Japan, officials believe that the $100 million investment in subsea cables for earthquake and tsunami monitoring, connected to an early warning system, could prevent 7,500-10,000 out of 25,000 projected fatalities in the event of a major undersea earthquake. Knap stressed that while the cost of installing the cables may seem high, the potential savings in terms of lives saved make it a worthwhile investment. New funding could support the expansion of current projects, such as satellite monitoring of ocean temperatures, tracking devices on marine animals, and tsunami warning systems in certain countries. Ausubel compared these advancements to the historical benefits of lighthouses and navigation aids, emphasizing the importance of investing in modern technology to address current environmental challenges, such as ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide emissions. It could become more challenging for creatures like lobsters, crabs, shellfish, corals, and plankton to create their protective shells, leading to consequences for other sea life.