What Is Horizon Scanning? Future Threats To Marine Ecosystems?

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The News

A new study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution has flagged emerging threats that could have a major impact on marine biodiversity over the next 5-10 years.
The study also speaks about the negative impacts of green technology adoption that must not be ignored.
A technique called ‘horizon scanning’ was used by a team of 30 multidisciplinary experts to arrive at their conclusions.

Horizon scanning is “a technique for detecting early signs of potentially important developments through a systematic examination of potential threats and opportunities, with emphasis on new technology and its effects on the issue at hand”.
Horizon scanning is not simply about predicting the future, but it is focused on the early detection of weak signals as indicators of potential change.

In this Horizon Scan, a team of 30 scientists, policymakers and practitioners with transdisciplinary expertise in marine and coastal systems was brought together to identify new issues that are likely to have a significant impact on the functioning and conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity over the next 5–10 years.
The team finalized 15 issues from a list of 75 submitted by participants. These issues are grouped into three categories:
1. Ecosystem impacts
2. Resource exploitation
3. New technologies

The horizon scan method was previously used to identify issues that are now known to have universal environmental impact.
A horizon scan from 2009 gave an early warning about the danger that microplastics (tiny plastic debris smaller than 5 mm) pose to marine environments.
Many countries including US & UK have banned cosmetics from containing microbeads.