The Ocean in Crisis - An All Out Assault

The oceans cover 71% of Earth. They are vast and deep. The depth and breadth of the high seas makes them seem inexhaustible; immune from the many perils we inexcusably inflict. It is truly the tragedy of the commons. People and corporations are acting in their own self interest and deplete or degrade shared resources like the ocean even if there is clear evidence that their actions are detrimental to the good of everyone in the long run. These human induced perils include, climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing and other numerous destructive practices 

If you spend any time on or near the ocean, in many cases it may be difficult to see the effects of this all out assault. There is sound scientific evidence that Earth’s climate is changing. The planet is getting hotter. As temperatures rise, the oceans are absorbing this heat and as a result global ocean temperatures are rising. Most of us are not able to directly see the impacts of a warming ocean. Dive beneath the waves and you will see the immediate impact on coral reefs as they bleach and die.

We have all seen beaches littered with plastic bottles and containers, disposable cutlery and straws too numerous to count. It is easy to find pictures of the plastic gyres with The Great Pacific Garbage Patch being twice the size of Texas or about the size of France. Marine debris kills species through entanglement and ingestion. Everyday, more and more plastic flows into the ocean.

Habitats are being destroyed. Coastal development results in the loss of the mangroves that provide nurseries for fish development and protection. Bottom trawling is one of the most destructive operations that wipes out reefs and anything else in its path. Marine species need places to grow and thrive and as we continue to destroy these habitats these creatures vanish. Losing the reefs and mangroves also wreaks havoc ashore as they no longer provide protection from the storms that are getting larger and more dangerous.

Overfishing is causing fish stocks to collapse. The large factory ships that operate without regulation are emptying the ocean of many species. The methods used are indiscriminate and not only deplete the target species, the bycatch results in needless killing of sharks, rays and other marine mammals. We cannot see how many fish are in the sea, but we can notice that there are far fewer.

Destructive practices like deep sea mining, deep sea drilling, and seismic exploration are yet another assault on the oceans around the world. With regulations being loosened, corporations are free to exploit at will.

The ocean is in crisis and under an all out assault. It will take both the current and future generation of ocean stewards to swing the pendulum in the other direction.

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