The oceans are absorbing about 91% of heat energy trapped in our atmosphere due to excess greenhouse gasses—like CO2—which are the leading cause of climate change. Due to climate change, the oceans are heating at rapid unsustainable rates, which will have irreversible effects on both land and sea, as found by NEEF.
There’s been talk for decades about possible marine extinctions, sea level rise and an end to marine biodiversity, but despite all the ruckus, the world is still rather unaware of the catastrophe rising at our feet.
You may not realize, that whether or not you live next to an ocean, you are benefiting from both the economical profit it provides the world and the environmental benefits, such as oxygen production.
About 50% to 60% of the world’s oxygen comes from the ocean according to Oceanservice.org. Many people believe our oxygen comes solely from our forests or coral reefs, but that is a common misconception.
Oxygen is produced by drifting plants, microorganisms that can photosynthesize and bacteria and algae that reside inside of coral. By only protecting coral reefs, we are not prolonging our oxygen source, unlike many people believe.
Organisms that create oxygen rely on the health of the ocean to sustain themselves. When the ocean is unhealthy, it causes a massive chain reaction that harms every species on land and in sea.
Based on research conducted by the Natural History Museum, the organism Prochlorococcus (pro-klo-ro-KOK-kus), is responsible for creating about 20% of the oxygen in our biosphere. This species of bacteria is suffering greatly due to the increasing temperature of the ocean caused by climate change and rising sea levels.
If the ocean were to sustain a permanent 4 degrees Celsius increase, it would almost guarantee a reduction in Procolorococcus’ functionality by about 51%. This decline would cause the oceanic oxygen levels to fall by 3%-10%, based on data from The Natural History Museum of the United Kingdom.
When Oceanic oxygen levels suffer and pollution overflows into the sea, phenomenons called “dead zones” are created. Dead zones refer to areas of the ocean where the oxygen levels are so low, marine life is no longer able to live and reproduce.
Think of it as an infringement on their habitat: it is pushing marine life out of sections of the ocean, forcing them to relocate and in many cases causing death and extreme habitat loss. Not only are these dead zones lethal, but they are also very hard to fix from a human perspective, according to Bow Seat. About 35% of marine life is expected to be extinct by 2050 and currently 1550 species are at risk for extinction, as stated by CNN.
Change is needed now more than ever. Many countries’ have finally begun taking initiative to help our oceans, one example being the BBNJ agreement, which aims to conserve 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. This step forward is crucial, but more than just governments are needed to make the changes necessary to protect our waters. Everyday people like you and I must be involved in the effort. The way you live your life affects the entire world, whether you realize it or not.
Living sustainably will help create a more sustainable world. This means not giving in to over-consumerism, or leaving the lights on, or the water running. I fully acknowledge that it is hard to live sustainably in a world that runs on capitalism, cheap production and same day shipping. However, just because it is hard does not mean we should abandon the effort.
The biggest mistake people make is thinking that they cannot make a difference, which is why I’m writing this to tell you that you can. Even just a billion individual people making smart choices, means a billion people making smart choices.
We have one planet and despite the different names and sections we have given the oceans—we have one ocean. Everybody on earth has a responsibility to the oceans and with collected effort we truly could make positive change.
The question is not, “How long can we wait?” but instead, “How much time do we have left?”
