The problem

There are lots of problems threatening marine biodiversity today, and most of them can be traced back to humankind. The biggest problem is overfishing. As fishing equipment gets better and better, more and more species are being eaten at an unsustainable rate. Furthermore, an incredible 40% of all marine catches are "unwanted" species, which are then either released back in the water dead or illegally sold.

Another issue is the destruction of ecosystems which marine animals live in. This is done in many ways, but some include urban development, destructive fishing methods such as dynamite, and the construction of aquaculture facilities(which attempt to do controlled breeding and harvesting in the oceans). With nowhere to live, marine species quickly die out.

Pollution and climate change also impact the fish, although this is less directly related. The continued warming of the earth drives up ocean temperatures. The ocean also absorbs some gasses that are being released, meaning the ocean becomes more acidic. Coral reefs are highly impacted by this, as scientists estimate the global coverage of coral has fallen by 50% since 1950. As for pollution, chemical pollution actually has a bigger impact than plastic waste. Overuse of fertilizer can carry nitrogen and phosphate into rivers, where they can kill animals who live there. In the Gulf  of Mexico and the Black Sea, there is almost no underwater life due to chemical pollution.

This is only a few issues out of many, but how much impact does all this have? As of 2024, there are 1,473 marine species on the ICUN Red List as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Of all these species, only 7% of the individuals are in protected areas. All of this means that we are losing species at an unprecedented rate.