What Have We Done to Our Oceans?

It's unfortunate, but we humans are harming our oceans, so that by 2050, there could be more plastic in the water than fish.

It is a startling fact just how little disregard we have had for our planet’s greatest resource: 12 million metric tons. That's how much plastic we dump into the oceans each year. That's about 26 billion pounds — or the equivalent of more than 100,000 blue whales — every single year.

We only see what is on the surface; that is bad enough. Scientists estimate that 14 million metric tons of ocean garbage lie on the seafloor. The harsh reality is that even if we had a major effort starting tomorrow, we would never be able to clean it all up.

It is more than just plastics and hard objects; we carelessly dump them into our ocean, thinking it can handle it. When large amounts of agricultural nutrients, like nitrogen, enter the sea, they can cause rapid algal growth. As algae break down, they use up oxygen in the water. This creates a large dead zone, leading to mass die-offs of fish and other marine life.

These low-oxygen areas mean that fish suffocate and die. Scientists measured a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which was the size of New Jersey. That was in 2017, and I am sure it has grown, and others have developed since then.

I've seen the decline of some of the world's most beautiful waters. I spent time over a twelve-year period diving in the pristine waters of the Maldives. Once, vibrant reefs burst with colour. Now, they lie as graveyards of brown and grey.

One reef near Baros Island, where I went on my first trip to the Maldives, felt like diving into an aquarium. The coral was bright and colourful. The marine life was exotic and amazing. It felt almost unbelievable.

Twelve years later, in 2021, I had the opportunity to return to the same reef. It was an eerie ghost formation: no fish life and no coral.

We have done a great job of destroying this vast resource for so many things. For example, each load of laundry can produce more than 700,000 synthetic microfibers. These can be washed into our waterways. These plasticised fibres don’t break down like natural materials, such as cotton or wool.

One estimate claims there are 4 billion plastic microfibers in each square kilometre of the ocean.

Ironically, India and Indonesia produce more hard plastic pollution than any other country. These two countries add more plastic to the oceans than the next seven together. This includes the United States, which is third on the list.

When we think of ocean pollution, we often picture oil tankers spilling large amounts of oil. and harming marine life. These actually account for only 12% of oil pollution.

Where does the rest come from?

Runoff from roads, rivers, and drainpipes causes issues in eight out of ten cases. This runoff carries two to three times more oil into the sea.

The coronavirus pandemic in January 2020 changed everything for the world's oceans. It increased public attention to the issues facing them.

The seas regulate the Earth’s climate and ensure that our planet remains habitable. It is the Earth’s largest and most diverse habitat. It provides animal protein to over three billion people. It also supports millions of livelihoods. Many industries take materials or substances from the sea. These include fishing, marine tourism, shipping, resource extraction, and renewable energy.

Our seas face three major issues: climate change, species extinction, and rising pollution. All of these are caused by humans. We need to come together to protect the marine environment. It's important to use our oceans and resources sustainably.

Sadly, June 8, World Ocean Day, passed with barely a mention. What a sad situation. We will regret our actions when the ocean is barren of life and polluted to the point that it is barely usable.

Mikeydred's "Juno In The Library" Unofficial Challenge:

Till next time,

Calvin