Marine conservation, water contamination and what we’re doing about it

Everywhere around the globe, pollution is becoming a more and more threatening problem, of maximum importance, affecting both the terrestrial and the aquatic environment. Not only does it change the climate or affect our lifestyle, but it also contributes to the dwindling of many species. Did it even occur to you that around 8 million pieces of plastic make their way into our oceans every day? We might not be aware of how this affects us in the early stages, but so many beings lose their lives because of it. Did you know that more than 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from plastic pollution each year? Or that most baby sea turtles have plastic in their stomach?

Marine conservation refers to the protection and preservation of ecosystems in waters through planned management in order to prevent the over-exploitation of these resources. Not until 1960 was it generally acknowledged that ecosystems are deteriorating and massive fish populations are in decline. Given the fact that 71% of our planet is covered by water, this is one of the greatest scientific issues we’re facing at the moment.

Why is marine conservation so important?

It doesn’t seem possible for this kind of pollution to lead to serious issues because it is very difficult to understand a full chain of invisible events happening underwater. One of the most serious consequences that this pollution might have, would be the Algae bloom, which is caused by an increased input of nutrients in the water (by fertilizers and raw sewage). Besides the strange smell, it casts a shadow over the water, which has direct implications for other organisms below the surface of the water. For instance, they can’t photosynthesize or when the bloom dies off, the decomposition uses up all the oxygen in the water, suffocating the area. These places have grown dramatically over the last half-century, all around the world.

In addition, coral reefs are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, but one of the most affected by climate change as well, acting as a barometer for global warming. Oceans have taken up about 93% of the extra energy caused by rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, according to the UN’s climate science panel. High surface temperatures cause water to heat up and corals to expel the symbiotic algae they rely on for energy, essentials for their nutrition and colour. If the algae die, corals become white and are referred to as “bleached”. Unless the higher temperatures of water persist for less than a month, the corals will die.

Also, factories, farms, homes, automobiles, from every country, release toxic chemicals, that are absorbed by animals and plants, which are eaten by humans. Global sea level rose about 8 inches during the last century. However, the rate in the last two decades is almost double that of the last century and is getting bigger and bigger every year.

The world takes action!

The good news is that we have finally realised how much of an impact water pollution has on us, and we have started taking action. Many big countries have come up with solutions and plans for reducing or even stopping this major problem.

For instance, the president of the US, Joe Biden, came up with the “Clean Energy Revolution”, through which he hopes to diminish pollution. He promises to ensure that the US achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions before 2050. What he plans on doing is to require aggressive methane pollution limits for oil and gas operations, drive towards zero-emissions vehicles, preserve and implement the existing Clean Air Act, protect biodiversity, slow extinction rates, help leverage natural climate solutions (by conserving 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030) and many more.

Another great example would be the Netherlands, which, with scientific support from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the involvement of the EU, organized several meetings on the topic of combating water contamination. They agreed to a proposal about cross border fisheries management, but it hasn’t been yet implemented, because under the Common Fisheries Policy, fisheries measures need the approval of the collaborating Fisheries Directors of the North Sea Member States cooperating in the Scheveningen Group.

Also, smart cities, like Singapore and Dubai, are an amazing idea. Not only do they help reduce pollution, but they also help manage the cities and keep them safe. There are less traffic jams, which results into less gas consumed, and a better air quality. They have sensors to detect when people are smoking in prohibited zones or when they throw litter from high places. Smart streetlights could also help reduce the energy waste, by dimming when there is no activity, but brightening up when they detect motion.

How can you get involved?

Did you know that the United Nations organises a day to help make people more aware of these issues? It takes place on the 5th of June every year, and it’s called World Environment Day (WED). People from many corners of the world get involved. In Korea, there were events organised to promote sustainable development and to encourage people to reduce carbon footprint, and in South Africa they organised a campaign to encourage people to throw away less food. Why don’t you give it a try?

If you wish you could do even more help to the environment, you could also try to cut down your plastic use, by using reusable items or buy food from a local farmers market, since in stores there might a lot of unnecessary packaging. You can try not to buy items made containing marine life products as well, like coral jewellery or shark tooth necklaces.

Overall, the only way in which we can save humanity is by protecting the environment, because otherwise, we won’t be able to live off the resources provided by it.

It’s high time we all did something before it’s too late!

Sources:

https://www.condorferries.co.uk/plastic-in-the-ocean-statistics#:~:text=Every%20day%20around%208%20million,their%20way%20into%20our%20oceans. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/marine_conservation.htm https://www.oysterworldwide.com/news/marine-conservation-important/ https://www.marinebio.org/conservation/

https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/