What We Would Miss When the Ocean is Gone

Personal thoughts:

Water is life. It is the ultimate source of our existence on Earth. Unfortunately, we often fail to consider the the value and welfare of the ocean. There's an old saying that goes, "you only realize its worth when it's gone." I really hope we don't get to that point when it comes to taking care of our ocean. In the effect of global warming and increasing pollution, now is the time to start thinking more about the ocean and how it affects our current and future generations. If we would only recognize the significance of the ocean in our daily lives, we could get to work on saving what's left good and precious in it. 

Humans have taken a lot from the ocean -- but what if the ocean decided to call it quits? What if the ocean, encapsulated in the film below by the booming voice of Harrison Ford, really did stop providing us with the generous benefits it has given us for all of human history? What would happen then?

This possibility is something that more and more governments, businesses and organizations are waking up to, and they are starting to worry. Just consider the remarkable range of benefits we get from healthy oceans:

1. Food provision through wild fisheries and fish farming. About 4.3 billion people get around 15% of their animal protein and essential nutrition from seafood.
2. Natural products like shells, seaweed, fish oil and coral. Each year, people consume almost 23 million tons of seaweed alone, an amount valued at over US 6 billion.
3. Coastal protection. Natural barriers like coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds mitigate impacts from major storms and tsunamis.
4. Artisanal fishing opportunities for those who don't have other options for employment or livelihoods and need to make their sustenance from oceans. There are over 12 million artisanal fishers worldwide.
5. Economies and livelihoods for people along the coasts. Worldwide, an estimated 350 million jobs depend on the ocean.
6. Biodiversity. Already 11.7% of marine species are threatened by extinction, as are the many direct and indirect benefits they provide to people, from being sources of new medicines to maintaining ecosystems in balance.
7. Clean water, free from pollutants and plastic garbage, that people can swim and wash in without putting their health at risk. There are already more than 400 dead zones worldwide, where lack of oxygen prevents many forms of life. These areas cover an area larger than the entire state of Minnesota.
8. A sense of place, including cultural, spiritual and aesthetic benefits. In the U.S. 39% of the population lives in coastal counties; these people are shaped by living by the ocean.
9. Carbon storage. The ocean captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and buries it in sediments to mitigate climate change. Mangroves capture five times as much carbon per acre as tropical rainforests, but these "blue carbon" habitats are being lost at a rate 2-4 times faster.
10. Tourism and recreation. In the U.S., over 40% of people visit the beach each year.

It is pretty obvious that we wouldn't do well without the benefits provided by a healthy ocean. In fact, we most likely would not survive. The good news is that many people are realizing what is at stake; even global and national leaders are catching on.


Source


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