Over 70% of our globe is covered by water. Ninety-seven percent of all water on earth is in our oceans. Life on earth began in the oceans 3.1 - 3.4 billion years ago and then evolved from the ocean to the land millions of years ago. (image below courtesy of www.Nasa.gov)
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How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Ocean.
--Arthur C. Clarke (Clarke, Arthur C., 1990)
Today, the ocean remains a necessity to maintain life as we know it. The oceans provide necessities such as;
- most of the oxygen we need to breathe
- a reservoir for soaking up almost half of the globe's gaseous carbon pollutants (more than 2 billion tons)
- a food source that can be managed to help feed the world
- the ingredients for many of today' s and tomorrow' s medicines
- making our weather, and
- is an essential part of the global economy.
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In other words, FOR EVERY HUMAN, ANIMAL AND PLANT ON EARTH, A HEALTHY OCEAN IS A MUST!! Our oceans make up 99% of the living space on earth and contains about 320,000,000 cubic miles of sea water.
Throughout history, people have been living near and interacting with our oceans with the sense that nothing humans do could possibly effect this enormous watery world in any way. While humans were few in numbers, the oceans were able to withstand and absorb most of these destructive activities.
Now with a growing population of over 6 billion, 60% living within 60 miles of the ocean, we know that human actions are, in fact, causing problems. The ocean is a very sensitive ecosystem and is now showing signs of imbalance from chronic overuse and abuse. We do not yet know the long and short term consequences of these actions.
- Will the damage we cause affect the amount of oxygen the ocean plants produce?
- Could even small temperature changes caused by global warming alter ocean currents thereby affecting the earth's climate ?
- Are our present actions starting another ice age?
- Could there be dramatic life altering changes during your lifetime?
- Can over-fishing and pollution cause an ecosystem imbalance severe enough to significantly alter our lives?
- Are we destroying the plants and animals that could one day provide the cure for cancer, AIDS or other life-threatening diseases?
The questions are endless. Some of the answers are known; others are yet to be discovered. We know the causes of many problems and are learning more what to do as well as what not to do. Each and everyone of us can help mend and protect our oceans in many ways; from the things we choose to consume and the way we dispose of them, to the fish we choose to eat. We can also make our elected representatives in the national governments aware of what we want for our oceans.
Did you know?
- Three-quarters of all marine pollution comes from land. A recent National Academy of Sciences study estimates that the oil running off our streets and driveways and ultimately flowing into the oceans is equal to an Exxon Valdez oil spill - 10.9 million gallons - every eight months (Committee on Oil in the Sea, National Research Council, 2002). More information
- Many countries still allow untreated sewage to continually flow into the sea. More Information
- Some fishing techniques result in billions of pounds of fish and other marine life being killed and discarded each year. Worldwide, it is estimated that fishermen discarded about 25% of the total catch during the 1980's and in the early 1990's. This adds up to about 60 billion pounds each year!! (Alverson et al., 1994; Alverson, 1998) More Information
- Dynamite and cyanide are still used for fishing.
- Over half of the world's original coastal marshes and mangrove forests are now developed as industrial parks, residential areas and farms.
See-The-Sea is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to encouraging interest in and educating people of all ages about the ocean. Our hope is that the information, sites and sounds that we are bringing to your computer will be of interest and may help to effect positive change! Please explore our site to learn more about our oceans and the pressing issues which already have begun to effect the way we live. For more information on how you can help, please see our About Us & Your Help page.