Human ingenuity can save the ocean’s biodiversity

The Planet has been under stress for decades. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the decline of coral reefs.

We know reefs have been suffering, but a study published this month hits us in the face with a stark reality: Half the corals in the iconic Great Barrier Reef have died in the last 25 years.

Like the ocean, the amount of corals once provided us with the illusion of indestruction. But man’s reach has exceeded his grasp. In the last century of fueling industry and growth, we’ve ruined the vast resources we once had at our disposal. And previously untouchable phenomena — glaciers, sea levels, air — have been disfigured by our pursuit.

“We used to think the Great Barrier Reef is protected by its sheer size — but our results show that even the world’s largest and relatively well-protected reef system is increasingly compromised and in decline,” said Terry Hughes, co-author of the study, in a statement.

Should we lose corals, we lose one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems — 25% of all marine life depend on coral reefs for food, shelter, or protection. Unfortunately, this is just one example of climate impacts on ocean biodiversity. Marine heatwaves endanger fish and plant populations, rising deep ocean temperatures threaten unobserved creatures, and sea level rise harms coastal species. And that’s not even mentioning the long-term effects of oil spills and plastic pollution.

The size of these climate impacts can distill hopelessness in anyone trying to do something. Afterall, few of us own the oil refineries and tankers that drive a lot of these problems. And because of how the ocean and atmosphere retain carbon for years after it’s emitted, we really can only do so much to clean up the mess after it’s made.

“[M]arine life in the deep ocean will face escalating threats from ocean warming until the end of the century, no matter what we do now,” said Anthony Richardson, a senior researcher at University of Queensland, who was part of a recent study that found the deep ocean was warming.

But, Richardson argues, we still can do something. We must “act urgently to alleviate other human-generated threats to deep-sea life, including seabed mining and deep-sea bottom fishing.” One way to do this, he said, is by creating large protected areas in the ocean.

Marine protected areas (MPA) currently cover about 7.5% of the ocean. These areas — marine sanctuaries, estuarine research reserves, ocean parks, and marine wildlife refuges — can increase ocean biodiversity by 400%. Luckily, MPAs have been on the rise in recent years, and continuing to invest in them will only improve our situation.

Countries can also become innovators, trying approaches that have never been practiced. Australia’s Queensland state, for example, recently said it would buy “reef credits,” a quantifiable, tradable credit that can improve the water flowing into reefs. The system would work much like carbon offsets, but instead of incentivizing carbon reduction, the system encourages improved water quality.

Efforts are also underway to house hundreds of corals in long-term facilities, both preserving biodiversity and helping revive populations. And scientists are studying corals that survive in warmer, more acidic waters to see if they can be transplanted to other areas to aid reef restoration.

Many changes can also be made at the regional level. And because most ocean pollution originates on land, one doesn’t have to be on a coast or an island to make a difference. Sierra Magazine recently wrote about how bipartisan-supported plastic bag bans in Wyoming are contributing to conservation in the ocean.

We’ve fucked around for the last century, and the ocean has suffered because of it. Now it’s time for us to turn things around. These efforts show that with the right political and economic will, we can do just that — though there’s little time to wait. As the world continues to warm, the ocean’s biodiversity crisis once more puts human ingenuity to the test.