Forward thinkers across disciplines are raising awareness about the effects of a changing climate on national and human security. Specifically, a new focus is emerging on how climate change impacts ocean systems and the oceans' subsequent vital role in exacerbating or mitigating these impacts. Thus, understanding the inter-connectedness between oceans, climate and security is increasingly crucial to our collective future. For instance, ocean acidification and warming, melting polar ice and sea level rise each pose critical threats to human populations, natural systems and global security.

Some threats are direct such as drought impacts on global food security, and damage to civilian and military infrastructure caused by increasing frequency and intensity of storms and sea-level rise. Other threats are significant but less direct such as a decrease in agricultural productivity, forced migration of coastal populations, and destabilizations of economies due to the ocean's reduced capacity to regulate climate and provide for human needs.