Clara: Marine Education

What is happening to our oceans?

By Clara Schimming

There are so many different things that are harming our oceans: how do they compare?

Answering this question was the main goal of Danny Carvill’s presentation at the Garrison School’s Youth Climate Summit. He sought to teach young individuals about what is happening to our oceans and what is harming them the most. Carvill is a Naturalist through PNW BOCES, an organization which acts as a regional center to support local school districts by offering educational programs and services students can attend. 

Carvill wants to raise awareness about how we are harming our oceans. He believes that the ocean is the most vital resource to our ecosystem, and that is why we have to protect it and raise awareness about how humans affect it. Carvill asked his workshop students “can somebody name any negative effect that is happening to our oceans?” The class came up with many problems: from microplastics and overfishing, to rising temperatures, ice caps melting and pollution. Once the class finished naming all the ruinous subjects, Carvill said: “Those are all insane issues happening to our oceans right now...but one that is overlooked but is hurting our oceans so much is Coral Bleaching.”

Carvill explained that coral bleaching happens when temperatures rise in the ocean. When the temperatures are too hot in the seas, the coral start releasing something called zansenthelly. Zansenthelly is a chemical that lets coral be able to make and digest food. If the coral is not able to eat food, it turns white because of lack of nutrients. This is a problem because when the coral turns white, it is left vulnerable to diseases which deem them unable to provide food for other animals. Bleached coral may also break apart in some cases, which leads to homelessness for many sea creatures. 

Coral bleaching is not the only problem occurring in our oceans. To help us realize more problems, Carvill had us split up in groups and in stations, rotate around the room which had different stopping points, each demonstrating a serious issue in our oceans. Station 1 was a spread of bleached coral, which were pale with a flaky, ashy texture. In Station 2, Carvill preserved animal skulls and remains, all of which belonging to animals which died from pollution. Station 3 had two big crates filled with styrofoam. Our goal was to break up the styrofoam as much as possible. We learned first-hand that it NEVER breaks down. The final station had a number of stuffed and taxidermied animals caught around in rope and nets which we tried to set free. This showed us that when animals get caught by big fishing nets made for smaller fish, it is incredibly hard to get them untangled. 

Carvill's stations made one question so loud in my head: there are so many issues happening in our oceans. How can we get people to care?