Helping the ocean

A Frozen Wasteland Frozen Wasteland

Does cold even really exist?

Based on the documentary Seaspiracy and Ocean

Society, the following facts were gathered and are now conveyed to educate the readers on current issues facing the oceans.

Out of all the life on earth, the ocean is home to eighty percent of it. Currently, there are over 150 million tons of plastic infiltrating our oceans. Because of this, marine animals, such as whales, are intaking it. This is not only problematic in the sense that it is cruel to animal life. Endangering whales, by association, also endangers humanity, as whales fertilize phytoplankton with the nitrogen and iron from their excrement that generate 87 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide. Essentially, taking care of marine life means taking care of humanity.

However, plastic is not the only issue contributing to the destruction and heating of the oceans. Fishing nets and gear account for a majority of plastic pollution in the ocean. While plastic is anything but good for nature, companies that seek donations often put weight on the plastic problem in order to deviate attention from one that is larger and more profitable: the commercial fishing industry.

The ocean is one giant carbon sink. The decimation of ocean life plays a vital role in maintaining the carbon needed to keep temperature safe, particularly for reefs. These reefs are the metaphorical nurseries of the ocean. They provide safe havens for many fish and other creatures who also rely on the reefs for nutrition. Therefore, keeping reefs alive means keeping fish alive, and fish keep the ocean alive at a healthy and sustainable temperature. The only unquestionable solution to reviving the ocean is to leave it alone. Marine life will come back exceptionally fast if only we allow it to. To protect the ocean more would be to fish less and meddle less with the ecosystems that naturally thrive there. For example, the oceans accidentally and ironically benefited from one of the world’s most massive oil spills. While this may seem confusing, it makes more sense once the scenario is broken down. After the spilling, fishing was entirely banned in that area. Creatures simply avoided the oil and managed to recuperate in greater numbers than they had seen in a long time prior. Clearly, overfishing is a major issue. The amount of life taken out of the ocean is not sustainable and affects global temperatures negatively because fish and other oceanic animals help absorb a significant portion of carbon dioxide emissions. Fishing should not be marketed as sustainable to the level that it is. According to the documentary, the societal goal to answering this problem could lie heavily in significantly decreasing our consumption of aquatic game.

“Stop eating seafood, particularly salmon and tuna.”

-Hunter Morgan, senior

This is good advice, as salmon and tuna are two of the most heavily overfished and over consumed sea creatures.

“I think factories area a large contributor to climate change.”

-Hunter Holmquist, senior

Factories account for about 2/3 of pollution which contribute to the issue of climate change according to Field.org. “Would fish farming be a solution?”

-Gabriel Wilson, senior Fish farming is not the answer. These aquafarms indirectly destroy ecosystems as they emit chemicals, pesticides, and natural wastes to susceptible coastal waters. They also destroy mangroves that serve as natural barriers from flooding. In addition, because the fish obviously must eat to grow and be harvested, it actually takes more fish from the wild to feed the ones that are being farmed. Therefore, fish farming directly necessitates the problem. Essentially, fish farming is just commercial fishing in disguise. feature u type u december 2019 u the viewpoint u3 november | december 2021 u the viewpoint u24