Oceans
World Oceans Day: June 8
“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.”
—Dr. Sylvia Earle, marine biologist, oceanographer, and explorer
World Ocean Day
World Oceans Day is celebrated internationally on June 8th. This year the United Nations came together to host a symposium on the topic of the World’s oceans titled: Planet Ocean- tides are changing. Over two-thirds of our planet is made up of water. This is comprised of oceans and seas. We rely heavily on the ocean yet only give it a fraction of the attention that it deserves. Humans impact the ocean daily and this in turn affects its biodiversity.
Oceans Around the World
Oceans and Seas: A Brief History
World Oceans Day is celebrated annually on June 8th. Starting in 1992 many countries have celebrated this day on June 8th when Canada first proposed it at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Brazil. It wasn’t until 2008 when the United Nations General Assembly decided to adopt the day, that the rest of the countries began to celebrate as well. Earth is the only known planet to be made predominately of water. 70% of our planet is covered in oceans and seas. Seas are found on the margins of the ocean and are partially enclosed by land. There are seven seas total.
There are five oceans on Earth. They are the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean. The largest of these oceans is the Pacific. The Pacific Ocean is so large that it holds half of the world’s saltwater. In comparison the world’s smallest ocean is the Arctic Ocean – being that it is partially frozen. The Earth’s oceans’ depth can run more than 6 miles beneath the surface. It is divided into different zones based on their depth. The top zone is known as the Sunlight Zone. In this zone, we can see the most plant and animal life. It also receives the most sunlight – hints the name. The next zone is the Twilight Zone. In this zone, many of the creatures’ glow in the dark since little sunlight reaches this depth. The Dark Zone or Midnight Zone is just like it sounds dark except for the animals that glow. This zone reaches a depth of more than 3,300 feet. Finally, we have the Deep-Sea Zone or the Abyss. This zone is the deepest part of the ocean and is in total darkness. Much of the ocean has yet to be explored. The few vessels that have made it to the bottom of the ocean trenches have found many strange new creatures that live there.
Changing Tides: The World's Oceans
Our foundation for life as we know it is the ocean. The ocean supplies the air we breathe and provides us with food to eat. It regulates our climate and weather. The ocean is plant Earth’s greatest reservoir for biodiversity. A perfect example of this reservoir are coral reefs. Coral reefs are underwater structures that are home to many of the underwater plants and animal life. Coral reefs only cover a tiny portion of the ocean and yet house up to a quarter of all ocean life. The oceans resources sustain communities all over the world. Humanity counts on the ocean. But so far the ocean cannot count on us. We should be taking care of such a valuable resource to our livelihoods, and yet we are its worst enemy. Human induced climate change is heating our planet disrupting weather patterns and ocean currents and creating ocean acidification. Fish are being harvested at unsustainable levels.
And we are polluting our coastal waters with chemicals, plastics, and human waste. By bringing these crucial items to light we can begin to change simple things about our lifestyles to help contribute to the changes that need to be made to protect our oceans. By cleaning up after ourselves when we visit the beach, we can help to reduce the waste and trash that sea creatures confuse for food. This is just one example of the many items that we can do to help make a difference.
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
– Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist
The Ocean Helpers
Ways that you can help:
It may be slightly overwhelming to think about how much damage has been done to the ocean. However, by changing our daily habits we can help contribute to the global ocean movement and change the tides to the oceans favor.
Check labels - the overfishing issues that plague our oceans are something that we can help by checking our seafood purchases for labels from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). Their logos of blue and green fish show that the seafood being purchased are from sustainable fisheries and farms.
Reduce Carbon Emissions – Fossil fuels are contributing to global climate change. This in turn is raising the temperature in the ocean and causing fish to lose habitat and swimming patterns. Turn off lights at home, unplug your electronics to avoid ghost draw, adjust your thermostat, walk or ride your bike when able instead of driving. In the last half-century, the ocean has absorbed 90% of the excess heat created by burning fossil fuels. That’s led to warmer waters, which can affect where fish swim, bleach coral reefs, change how marine species reproduce, speed up sea-level rise, and even alter weather events on land.
Reduce single-use plastics utilization–Single-use plastics account for 8 million tons of plastic that end up in the ocean. This includes non-reusable water bottles, straws, take-out containers, and plastic bags.
These items pollute our ocean and can destroy ecosystems and endanger marine life. In the next decade if we do not change our ways, we could have 1 lb of plastic in every 3 lbs of fish in the ocean.
