 | |||
| Above: circled satellite imagery of the great pacific garbage patch |
Ocean's cover seventy-one percent of the Earth's surface. So weather or not you live close to one, you are still closely effected by what occurs in them, and unfortunately the state of our oceans are not doing to well. From the great pacific garbage patch, pollution, coral bleaching, endangered species, and other environmental issues occurring in the ocean it's clear we need to take better care of the ocean.
 |
| Above: great pacific garbage patch |
Why Should We Care?
If you're not a surfer, swimmer, scuba diver, or if you can count how many times you've even seen the ocean on one hand, why should you care? Well, I ask you to take one breath - that's thanks to the trees and plants on Earth. Now take another another breath. You can thank the ocean and the phytoplankton it houses for that one because over half of the world's oxygen is produced via phytoplankton (Earthsky, 2015). However, due to the ocean's temperatures and acidity levels rising phytoplankton is dying. In addition, other aquatic species are also suffering because of our carelessness, and scientists have reported by 2050 there won't be any fish in the sea (Roach, 2006). Imagine a world where fish and other sea life becomes a history lesson like dinosaurs.
In order to have healthy oceans, clean air and an environment that can continue to sustain us, we must have biodiversity. As human beings it is our responsibility to protect the ocean and take better care of it.
Ocean advocacy can be for everyone because the ocean's health is a global concern that affects everyone.
As for my community, those lucky enough to live by the ocean and enjoy it's benefits. The surfers, beach goers, and swimmers we support the ocean's health.
A Small Portion of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The name "Pacific Garbage Patch" has led many to believe that this
area is a large and continuous patch of easily visible marine debris
items such as bottles and other litter—akin to a literal island of trash
that should be visible with satellite or aerial photographs. This is
not the case. While higher concentrations of litter items can be found
in this area, much of the debris is actually small pieces of floating
plastic that are not immediately evident to the naked eye.
Ocean debris is continuously mixed by wind and wave
action and widely dispersed both over huge surface areas and throughout
the top portion of the water column. It is possible to sail through
"garbage patch" areas in the Pacific and see very little or no debris on
the water's surface. It is also difficult to estimate the size of these
"patches," because the borders and content constantly change with ocean
currents and winds. Regardless of the exact size, mass, and location of
the "garbage patch," manmade debris does not belong in our oceans and
waterways and must be addressed.
Debris found in any region of the ocean can easily be
ingested by marine species causing choking, starvation, and other
impairments (NOAA, 2018).
Why it's important to me
I grew up in San Francisco, California, and weekends playing at the
beach were a memorable part of my childhood. During my high school years
I moved to gridlock Reno, Nevada, and after graduating high school I
moved to Los Angeles. While my feeling for the ocean may have been
contradictory, being secretly terrified but also terribly intrigued,
this is where I realized how much appreciation and fascination I have
for the ocean.
I took some marine biology classes, became a certified scuba diver,
volunteered for heal the bay and while my slight fear of the ocean isn't
entirely gone, my admiration for it has grown. I have taken my scuba
diving hobby to extremes, diving in the Caribbean with sharks, and
helping non-profits like Ghost fishing
remove lost industrial fishing nets from the ocean. Seeing first hand
pollution, the ocean's environments decline and learning about these
issues from others is why I think it's important that we take better
care of the ocean.
Those in Support
 |
| Emilio Vaca Flores |
 |
| Tyler Griffith |
 |
| Elizabeth Garcia |
 |
| Carson Hughes |
 | |
| Chelsea & Pey Lloyd |
 |
| Jordan Cappella |
References :
Earthsky. How much do oceans add to world's oxygen? (2015, June 08). Retrieved from https://earthsky.org/earth/how-much-do-oceans-add-to-worlds-oxygen
Roach, J. (2006, November 06). Seafood May Be Gone by 2048, Study Says. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2006/11/seafood-biodiversity/
No comments:
Post a Comment