Seychelles President rallies for ocean protection from an underwater submersible

In a first, the President of Seychelles, Daniel Faure, rallied for the protection of oceans through a live speech given from an underwater submersible on Sunday.

"The issue is bigger than all of us, and we cannot wait for the next generation to solve it. We are running out of excuses to not take action, and running out of time," the President said.

Faure called on the entire world to do more to care for the "beating blue heart of our planet," according to German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The Seychelles leader gave his speech around 400 feet below sea level, from a submersible just off the outer islands of the archipelago.

"From this depth, I can see the incredible wildlife that needs our protection, and the consequences of damaging this huge ecosystem that has existed for millennia," he said.

Faure lay stress on the oceans' role in regulating climate during his speech, highlighting that the oceans produce "half of the oxygen we breathe." He also spoke on the repercussions of human activities on marine biodiversity.

Seychelles is one of the nations which is suffering due to global warming and rising sea levels. At present, only five percent of the world's oceans are protected.

The submersible, meanwhile, is a part of a British-led science expedition exploring the Indian Ocean. Some of the data collected will help the African nation in protecting its waters by 2020.

Findings from the research will also help bring about the first United Nations treaty on conserving the high seas, according to scientists involved in the project. In fact, the UN climate summit in Chile later this year will have oceans as one of its seven main themes.