Dattada 1

Aidan Dattada

Mr. Taylor

Honors English I

23 October 2018

Threats Facing the Ocean

Imagine the magnificence of a coral reef; vivid hues of bright orange, deep purple,

fluorescent green abounding among a surge of scurrying invertebrates and a flurry of fish,

scattering synchronously in each direction, all the while shimmering like diamonds. Now

imagine that same scene, except the fish have left, the corals have been bleached to the most

lifeless shade of grey, and empty shells are the closest thing you have to any kind of invertebrate.

Look to areas of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to see this exact scene stretching for miles.

Marine ecosystems are facing extinction because of the threats posed by human behaviors. The

UN has identified this as an issue to sustainable development, and groups such as Ocean

Conservancy have begun taking action to address it.

Threats to the ocean are an issue because of the diversity of wildlife and effect on the

land at stake. “​Climate change is causing global ocean temperatures to rise, ​changing how fish

species migrate​, ​affecting how animals reproduce​, ​causing coral reefs to die​, and ​unleashing

dangerous pathogens​.​” (87% of the World’s Oceans are Dying). Delicate ocean ecosystems are

collapsing because the waters are warming. The fish inhabiting these waters are changing in

ways that they shouldn’t, putting furthur strain on the ocean. “Subsidies for fishing are

contributing to the rapid depletion of many fish species and are preventing efforts to save and

restore global fisheries and related jobs, causing ocean fisheries to generate US$50 billion less
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per year than they could. Open Ocean sites show current levels of acidity have increased by 26

per cent since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Coastal waters are deteriorating due to

pollution and eutrophication. Without concerted efforts, coastal eutrophication is expected to

increase in 20 percent of large marine ecosystems by 2050.” (Oceans - United Nations). Levels

of ocean acidity and rates of deterioration of fish and waters have been rising to the point of

clearly present effects on fishery profit. The global effect of these lowered fishery profits and

raised acidity necessitates serious action on the behalf of people. To understand exactly how

much work is needed to make marine ecosystems sustainable, a more complete analysis of the

action described here is necessary.

To achieve the goal, governments have instituted protections over certain areas of the

ocean, with a total reduction in pollution still remaining to be accomplished. “​Marine protected

areas, or MPAs, are zones of the ocean set aside for conservation, and can be thought of as

marine national parks. They have emerged as a vital tool for conservationists, and are used by

governments to protect marine ecosystems from overfishing or resource extraction. MPAs have

been shown to ​significantly increase fish numbers and ecosystem health​ by giving exploited

environments a chance to recover from human disturbances.​” (Marine Conservation). From a

legal standpoint, MPA’s serve as an important measure for protecting marine wildlife. The

governments that have implemented them see significant results in that the oceans become

measurably healthier. Seeing as overfishing is one of the main threats to marine ecosystems,

protection against it is vital. “​He suggests treating the ocean like a sick patient that has a

temperature. To lower the temperature, that requires stopping polluting the atmosphere with

carbon—of course, no easy task.​” (The Oceans Can’t Protect Us). A necessary part of protecting
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the ocean is to stop polluting it. Pollution is a worldwide issue, and stopping it from getting into

the waters must be done regardless of how difficult it is. These seemingly impossible changes to

the human world are already being undertaken by several groups.

An organization built to help tackle these challenges is Ocean Conservancy, a collection

of people who innovate ways to manage pollution. “Ocean Conservancy is working with you to

protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges.” (Ocean Conservancy). This group

uses volunteers to help prolong the life of marine ecosystems. They are also concerned with the

climate change that accompanies deteriorating seas. “I want to do everything that I can to make

sure that people can have good lives into the future, that we avoid the negative effects of climate

change.” (Ocean Conservancy). People involved with this organization tend to hold the same

principles as the organization itself. Ocean Conservancy holds to the idea that climate change has

negative effects that can be avoided with enough work and dedication. This and similar

organizations do great work in securing marine ecosystems from the looming threat of

extinction.

The world’s oceans are threatened by the negative effects of pollution and climate change

caused by humans. To lose the oceans is to lose all life on earth; a guaranteed extinction event.

Controlling pollution and stopping overfishing are some of the most important steps we can take

now to limit this problem. The easiest steps you can take to prevent this are to properly dispose

of your waste and limit seafood consumption.

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Works Cited

“87% Of the World's Oceans Are Dying: Report.” ​Global Citizen​,

www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/87-of-worlds-oceans-are-dying-climate-change/.

Marine Conservation, et al. “These 4 Countries Took Huge Steps to Protect the Ocean in 2015.”

Conserve​, 9 Oct. 2016, howtoconserve.org/2015/11/20/marine-protected-areas/.

“Ocean Conservancy.” ​Ocean Conservancy​, oceanconservancy.org/.

“Oceans - United Nations Sustainable Development.” ​United Nations​, United Nations,

www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/.

“The Oceans Can't Protect Us Anymore-Here's Why.” ​National Geographic​, National

Geographic Society, 5 Sept. 2016,

news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/oceans-warming-global-environment-climate/?use

r.testname=lazyloading%3A1.