We Treat Our Oceans Too Badly

Ocean — What Does it Offer

Vast expanse of the ocean, pristine beauty of boundless blue, still waves or rolling waves, rhythmical stillness instills in us a sense of awe. Oceans cover 71% of our planet’s surface and have a rich biodiversity from coral reef to the incredible canyons, the largest animal to a tiny bacterium and to various communities of marine life. Sea grass, mangrove forests, kelp forests are biologically diverse and balance the ecosystem.

The Paradox

For humans, ocean is the biggest resource of life and biggest dumping ground. National Geographic cites that proponents of dumping in the ocean believe that “The solution to pollution is dilution!” A study by Science warns that our oceans are facing a severe threat of extinction. Human activities combined with geo-engineering technologies has abused the fragile ocean ecosystem and resulted in severe marine pollution.

Threats to the Ocean

The normal ecosystem of the ocean is getting eroded due to callous activities like discarding of plastics, overfishing, emission of carbon dioxide and toxic chemicals and dumping garbage.

· Overfishing — The destructive and unsustainable methods of fishing has led to wiping out of species. It is also a threat for other species of marine animals that depend upon those fish for survival.

· Bottom Trawling- This is a practice to dredge up deep water marine animals and in this process several unwanted fish or animals caught are tossed aside.

· Release of Pollutants — Untreated toxic wastes from industries, plastics, and fertilizers are released into the ocean. ‘The Week’ reports that our oceans contain an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastics. The Great Pacific Garbage patch is a dreadful reality to what we have done to our oceans.

· Food chain is at peril — Sharks are caught, their fins cut off and the bleeding animal is thrown back into the sea to die. The big marine animals like Shark form the top of the food chain, their death leads to overpopulation of species in the lower food chain series. This causes an imbalance in the ecosystem.

· Ocean acidification — Pollutants in the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean. Ocean absorbs a large amount of Carbon Dioxide due to which pH balance is dropping, temperatures rising and leading to various species of marine life getting wiped out. Acidification forces animals to expend more energy to maintain a balance.

· Geo -engineering experiments — Experiments like dumping limestone to neutralize ocean acidity is perhaps a theoretical possibility just like the concept that iron fertilization will increase phytoplankton blooms.

· Shipping — Excessive shipping traffic causes damage to areas around the coast, sea routes wetlands. Accidental spilling, release of toxic chemicals, discharge of sewage and garbage, wave disturbances, hitting of marine animals has a destructive impact on oceans.

· Travel and Tourism — Implications of mass tourism has been cited in a study at ‘The Mediterranean’ . 46,000 kilometers coastline now stands urbanized and has resulted in natural habitat loss.

You can check Azula for ocean based news. Implications of ruining the ocean are many. Mercury pollution from coal industry reaches the food chain and subsequently to humans who consume fish. Drilling of oil reserves is harming the marine life as seen in the endangered population of gray whale in Russia. Sadly the biggest, greatest largest life resource is heading towards a catastrophic destruction. Oceans have to be revived!