Our Ocean’s Issues
Our world takes so much out of the ocean, returning the favor by putting so much garbage back into it. Oceans are such an important, big resource to the humans on this planet- so why are we treating it so bad? Do we not want to preserve this precious resource for as long as possible?
Dead Zones:
Global warming is the cause of our ocean’s numerous dead zones. This happens and is a negative consequence because patches of ocean will not be able to support the life it used to, due to a lack of oxygen in the area. 400 dead zones are known to exist as of today, and the numbers continue to escalate. (1). The use of fertilizers and pesticides with agriculture on land are also at the root of this problem due to the run off of these chemicals into the oceans. Therefore, crop biodiversity could help reduce the number of dead zones and help save ocean life. Everything we put in the ocean will affect us in the long run; we as humans need to prevent any more harm to this resource.
Overfishing:
There are many practiced methods of fishing around the world that need to be stopped. Bottom trawling is an example of one- where unwanted life ends up being caught and then discarded, as well as the ocean floor being destroyed. Overfishing causes fish to starve; if we catch so much of one species of fish, it can cause another species that is dependent on it to starve, as well as extinct that species. “It is also estimated that most seas already need long term fishing bans if certain species are to recover at all.” (1).
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch:
In the Pacific Ocean, there is an enormous patch of garbage and plastic that has been building up. Overall, this is a terrible situation. But lots of ecofriendly organizations have been putting forth efforts to clean up sections of this patch, known to be the size of Texas, and bring more mindfulness to this issue. The patch was discovered in 1985, and is known to contain mostly plastic pieces and other debris. Lots of this plastic ends up in the stomach of marine life, therefore lots of effort has been put into cleaning up this area of the ocean. (3)
Mercury Pollution:
Mercury is taken in by small fish, and works its way into our systems by the process of larger fish consuming these smaller fish. Coal plants are the root of this problem. “According to the Environmental Protection Agency, coal-fired power plants are the largest industrial source of mercury pollution in the country.” (1) Mercury has already positioned bodies of water in every state of the United States, as well as all oceans. Tuna is known to have the most counts of mercury poisoning- so make sure you watch your tuna intake!
Ocean Acidification:
This occurs when the CO2 changes the chemistry of the seawater. “The ocean absorbs about a quarter of the CO2 we release into the atmosphere every year, so as atmospheric CO2 levels increase, so do the levels in the ocean.” (2). The more we burn fossil fuels, the more CO2 is put into our environment, therefore altering the natural process of absorption that the ocean has been working on for all of time. Unless we change our habits with fossil fuels, there will be a point at which our ocean is too acidic and won’t be able to sustain life anymore.
Resources
(1) Heimbuch, Jaymi. “The Ocean Has Issues: 7 Biggest Problems Facing Our Seas, and How to Fix Them.” TreeHugger, Treehugger, 5 Feb. 2018, www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/the-ocean-has-issues-7-biggest-problems-facing-our-seas-and-how-to-fix-them.html.
(2) Ocean Acidification, www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification.
(3) dianna.parker. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch | OR&R’s Marine Debris Program.” Dianna.parker, 11 July 2013, marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html.
