Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.
But yet,..
- Hundreds of millions of tons of ocean wildlife have been removed from the sea, while hundreds of millions of tons of waste have been poured into it.
- 90% of many once common fish have been extracted since the 1950s; 95% of some species, including blue fin tuna, Atlantic cod, American eel and certain sharks have been killed. And taking them is still allowed
- Destructive fishing techniques have destroyed habitats and killed millions of tons of animals that are simply discarded.
- Half of the shallow coral reefs globally are gone or are in a state of serious decline, in the Caribbean 80% are dead…we don’t even know the state our reefs are in….
- MORE THAN 400 “dead zones” have formed in coastal areas in recent decades….is our bay going to be one in a decade’s time?
- Global warming and other changes in climate are affecting ocean systems and ocean life just as on land…changes in the ocean resonate globally.
- The ocean’s pH is changing owing to increased carbon dioxide that in turn becomes carbonic acid. These changes touch all forms of life in the sea.
- The worst of all, I think, the ignorance about the oceans vital importance to everyone, everywhere, all the time!
We have explored and studied less than 5% of the ocean yet…
….We depend on the ocean FOR FOOD, OXYGEN, OIL, GAS, MINERALS, FRESH WATER, WILDLIFE, TRANSPORTATION, TOURISM, AND EVEN REAL ESTATE ENHANCEMENT, just to mention a few.
