Institutional Capacity Building Toward the Sustainability of Ocean Science in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Plastic litter in places like Tanzania comes from the unregulated production of single-use plastic products and the legal and illegal dumps located at riverbanks or near the coast (Nipe Fagio, 2021). This pollution is dangerous to human health as well as to the species in the ocean. Oceans are fundamental in controlling the earth's climate. If the ocean is polluted, an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and acidification in the ocean will accelerate, which will result in sea-level rise causing disastrous consequences (Lukambuzi, 2006).This calls for a sound environmental response to the pandemic in connection with research on ocean science. Formulating our laws and policies in response to this is vital, and therefore, institutions need capacity building to work on the matter at hand. Government officers, law, and policymakers need to be reminded, trained, and sensitized on the importance of formulating good laws and policies that protect our ocean from pollution. These are key players in the immediate and long-term recovery efforts from the environmental impact of COVID-19 because they have the power to enact laws and oversee government policies.