Adopt a Watershed

Fishermen that are trawling with nets invariably destroy large sections of habitat.  They catch marine life in the process which is not destined for our dinner table. These hapless creatures are mangled, ripped to shreds by nets and thrown overboard when the catch is hauled on deck. The senseless large scale destruction by fishing methods used as well as fishing quota is threating every aspect of marine life, as is pollution.

It seems that some fisheries still experience severe learning difficulties when it comes to responsible, sustainable fishing practices.

Bio Diversity

Wherever we are in Britain, we’re never more than 70 miles from the sea. The UK shorelines and sea provide rich wildlife habitats to marine life of all sizes, from the larger sea mammals such as whales, seals and dolphins, to a plethora of sea birds and a multitude of fish. On a microscopic level there are single celled animals and plants, too. Kelp on the shore provides tiny creatures with shelter while kelp in the sea provides them with food and anchorage in the currents.

We enjoy going on seaside holidays where we snorkel or scuba dive in the sea, exploring the rich underwater flora and fauna of our own as well as other countries. The oceans are now so threatened by pollution and exploitation that many shorelines will soon be totally denuded of marine life. Calls for marine wildlife protection along the British shores have so far largely fallen on deaf governmental ears. Lobbyists from the greedy building industries speak louder than environmentalists it seems. Who cares about a divers’ paradise and wildlife habitats, if dredging brings such profits?

Unless we change our attitude to marine life in our oceans and start regarding it as a vital source of food, potential source for medicine and integral part to our overall richness of habitat, there is little hope that pollution and exploitation inflicted on our marine life is going to cease.

Humans are not the masters of the earth; they are merely its custodian. Bio diversity benefits us all, yet at the moment our future is as bleak as the remaining marine life in our oceans is becoming extinct at an alarming rate.

Undiscovered Country

The deep sea is largely undiscovered owing to the extreme challenges involved in deep sea diving. Recent advances in technology have enabled us to send probes to ever greater depth and underwater cameras have shown us a world that is as rich in marine life as it is alien in their nature.

Even at depths of some 10,000 metres marine life is thriving in a permanently dark world. Using ultrasound to navigate or electrical currents coursing through their translucent bodies to make themselves look more formidable, deep sea marine life astonishes us with its diversity and scale. The greater the depth the larger the water pressure per inch of body, yet marine life of all shapes and sizes thrives at the bottom of deep sea trenches.

Isn’t it about time we realised what marine life really gives to us?

There are many forms of marine life that live in our oceans.  The marine life in the bitterly cold Arctic Ocean can differ greatly from the marine life in the warmer Indian Ocean.  However, they all help man to survive.  Let’s explore the diversity of species we find across our planet.

Fish

Fish are a form of marine life which has undergone a different biological evolution from other large creatures. Their astonishing anatomy includes a two-chambered heart, a swim bladder, scales, fins, mouths containing sharp rows of teeth, flexible lips and eyes that can see in the dark, murky waters and at great depth.  They breathe by extracting oxygen from the oceans’ water through their gills. Fish have fins which propel and stabilize them as they swim in the water. There are huge fish like hammerhead and tiger sharks and little ones like sardines and anchovy. There are marlin and barracuda as long as a boat.

Marine Reptiles

During evolution a number of reptiles decided that living in the water was a good way to make a living, so today sea snakes, terrapins, sea turtles, marine iguanas and large salt water crocodiles are still part of marine life in our oceans. The majority of marine reptiles must return to land occasionally to breed and lay their eggs. This forces most marine reptiles, except for some sea snakes, to live close to shore. They love sheltered estuaries, islands, sand banks and shallow water.

Seabirds

Some species of sea birds love living inland, where our wastefulness provides them with plenty of food. Sea gulls can sometimes be found thousands of kilometres in land, where their squawking and aggressive nature can be regarded as a nuisance. Most sea birds, however, spend nearly all their lives out on the oceans, such as penguins, gannets, puffins, auks and the mighty albatross.

Marine Mammals

Marine life forms that developed into mammals can be divided into five main categories:

1. Those called cetaceans have sea creatures as diverse as toothed whales (sperm whales, dolphins, porpoises) and what is referred to as baleen whales (grey whales, humpback whales, blue whales) in their midst.
2. There are the delightful seals, walruses and sea lions which are referred to as pinnipeds.
3. Everybody’s favourite, the sea otter, belongs to the family of mustelidae, which incorporates land creatures such as badgers and weasels.
4. The marine life species called sirenians include manatees and the dugong.
5. Although it spends a great deal of its life on land or on ice, the Polar Bear is often thought of as belonging to the group of marine mammals.  Fishing and hunting for other sea mammals such as seal makes the Polar bear dependent on the sea.

Undiscovered Marine Life

In 1960 an American diving team recorded a white flatfish, a jellyfish and a shrimp in the Mariana Trench, which is near the Philippines. These marine life creatures were thriving at a depth of 10,924 m (35,838 ft).

We have only just begun to explore the diversity of our oceans. In recent years technological advances have made deep sea diving viable, although it still is easier to send a probe into space than to send a submarine down into the deep sea trenches.

The effect dredging for gravel has had on our shorelines is already being felt by fisheries all over the UK. If you’re wondering, why seafood is so expensive, then take a look at the building industry. Delicate shore habitats for shellfish are being destroyed every day and successions of governments drag their heels to protect the coastlines. Many animals living in our oceans stay close to the coast, because they are scavengers and there used to be rich pickings close to land, where dead creatures and plant life were washed up at the beach. Animals use shallow waters for breeding and spawning and rearing their young.

Cockles and oysters were once plentiful along the British shoreline, but today some species are no longer so plentiful and others have begun to disappear. Marine biologist study with the aid of GPS and other underwater technology how currents, tides and other factors affect marine life. Dredging up sand to create a white beach where there was none before can have a major impact on marine life and can utterly destroy a careful natural balance. The destruction of habitat has had a huge impact on fisheries, causing great unemployment.

Over-Fishing

Cod fish stocks collapsed in the 1990s and since then they haven’t really recovered. Now the humble mackerel is under threat from over-fishing. Our oceans were once plentiful when humans practiced sustainable fishing but drift net fishing on a massive scale has wiped out so many species, particularly by-catch from shrimping is responsible for mass extinction. Our oceans are at breaking point and without them we might as well forget life on earth.

Supermarkets are still not doing enough to ensure correct labelling tells consumers how, where and under what conditions fish was produced. Cans of tuna might carry a sticker telling us that no dolphins were harmed in the fishing process, but they neglect to tell us that every year thousands of rays are wiped out cruelly with the methods used to fish for tuna.

As consumers we do have the power to say what we want to see on supermarket shelves. Not buying fish at all is one way to get the message through. Lobbying for sustainable fishing methods to be used is another, as is consumer insistence on improved food labelling.

Responsible Tourism

Marine creatures in our oceans are threatened by pollution, but the larger ones are also killed or injured by irresponsible tourism. Accidents and collisions with motor boats often kill young manatees, which are slow moving and incurably curious.

Changing Weather

The oceans’ currents transport heat around the globe and this has a major impact on our weather. Horizontal currents moving north to south across the Earth will transfer either warmed or cold water for several thousand miles. Evaporation can either cool down or warm up the air. The waters from the tropical and subtropical parts of the Atlantic Ocean are carried by the Gulf Stream current to Western Europe, where it is directly responsible for inducing a milder climate.

Some of the most notorious sharks are the Great White and the tiger shark.  While they seem quite similar, they are also different.  Like the great white shark, the tiger shark generally has 3000 teeth in its mouth at a time. They tend to lose teeth often, though, because of the tough skin and struggling of some of their prey. Their teeth do grow back, and the average tiger shark will have 25,000 teeth in its lifetime.

Although tiger sharks do not attack humans as often as great white sharks, they are not quite as merciful. Whereas a great white shark will generally swim away if it realizes you are not a seal, a tiger shark will not give up on its prey once it has decided, unless forced away. Again, however, the tiger shark will only strike a human if it feels threatened or mistakes it for another type of food.

The bull shark is another shark on the species list that is considered dangerous to humans. Although it does not kill as often as a great white shark, the bull shark is still considered the most dangerous. It is the smallest of the three sharks, usually averaging around 7 feet long, 11 at the longest. Unlike the great white and tiger sharks, bull sharks tend to spend most of their time in shallower water hunting their prey. This makes them far more likely to stumble upon humans. More likely than them finding humans, however, are humans finding them. Bull sharks are incredibly territorial, and will defend their “land” vigorously.

Many attacks that were once credited to great white sharks were reexamined, and found to be the work of bull sharks. This aggressiveness often starts before the sharks are even born. In their mother’s womb, developing bull sharks will occasionally cannibalizing their siblings for invading their space. Another unique attribute about the bull shark is that it has to ability to survive in fresh water for quite some time. This allows them to travel up river, and sometimes find their way to village shores, becoming a danger to those that live there.

Although there are nearly 400 species of shark in the world, and perhaps many more waiting to be discovered, the bull shark, tiger shark, and great white shark are the only that are considered to be dangerous. They do not hunt humans, and only attack out of confusion, fear, or defense. The real threat is us, as humans, who vocalize our invalid fears by attacking creates that are simply acting as they were created to act.

Sharks are hunters, and that will never change. Instead of fearing and attacking them for that, we need to respect it. Sharks will never change; the change is left up to us. If we take all the safety precautions we can before venturing in to known shark territory, the chances of being attacked are so slim, it is near impossible.

The “terrors” of the depths are nothing more than another misunderstood creature that calls this planet home. While they are dangerous, they are certainly not killers.  However, humans have turned this planet into a dangerous deathtrap for all living things.  With global warming and the greenhouse effect, many of these large sharks will be quickly diminishing due to lack of food.  If our environment is not cared for now, in the future of these majestic creatures in the ocean will disappear forever.

Pinnipeds, which roughly mean fin-footed mammals, are a fairly common marine species. They are creatures are best known for their short flippers, which end with webbed fingers and toes, which are often clawed. Unlike the aforementioned sirenians, pinnipeds are carnivores, meaning they feed upon other animals. They are covered in a thick layer of blubber, and often a thin layer of hair, which allows them to hunt for food within icy waters.

Based on the description above, you’ve likely come up with a fairly educated guess as to what mammals fall in to this category. If you guessed seals, sea lions, or walruses, you were spot on. All of these animals are often very “herd” oriented. They move, hunt, and bask in groups. This likely explains why so few of their species has wound up on the endangered species list.

Mustelidae are the next species on our list. The majority of this category does not live in water. Weasels take up the vast majority of the species within the Mustelidae family, but there is one subfamily that is not land based. This is the sea otter. Sea otters are carnivorous, feeding on fish, clams, and urchins. Most of their food is tucked away within a hard, protective shell. Sea otters, however, are quite clever. They have learned to take rocks and bash them against a clam’s shell until it breaks, revealing the meat inside. Sea otters were once abundant, but were heavily hunted for their fur for a span of nearly two years. Because of this, they are now very close to finding their way on to the endangered species list.

The last category on this list is a tad surprising, and up for debate by many. Scientists have classified them as a marine animal, however, due to their heavy dependence on the sea. They spend much of their time in the icy arctic waters, hunting fish, seals, and penguins. As their icy home shrinks more and more as our climate increases, they become increasingly more dependent on the ocean for survival.

The ocean houses a vast majority of sea life, and those mentioned here only cover a small portion of the grand scheme. However, without them, the ocean would be quite different. And, unfortunately, this is becoming more and more of a possibility because whales are hunted for their blubber, polar bears lose land, manatees die off, and sea otters are killed for their pelts. If we want to preserve the ocean’s mammals, the time to act is now, before it is too late.  The environment is so important to all life, regardless if it is life on land or in the oceans.  We need to conserve our resources and do what we can to reverse the damage that has been done.  Efforts to help the sea creatures have helped, but it takes more than one person.  As we all share this planet, we all must work together to conserve it.

There is a breed of shark, known commonly as the whale shark and scientifically as rhincodon typus, which takes up more than its fair share of ocean space. This creature is the largest living species of fish, because whales do not fall in to that category. These slow-moving sharks have been recorded at lengths of up to 41 feet and tend to weigh in at nearly 80,000 pounds. Sharks tend to have a nasty reputation worldwide as man-hunting killing machines. While this is incorrect of any shark, this especially rings true for the largest shark of all, the whale shark.

Despite it being a shark, and despite its massive size, the whale shark tends to be a very docile creature. Like the blue whale, the whale shark feeds almost entirely on krill and algae. These are not aggressive creates, and SCUBA divers have often photographed each other swimming alongside and touching this gentle giant. Although this species has not quite made it on to the endangered species yet, it is getting close. It is threatened, and their numbers are thinning.

The giant squid is a creature of legend. For hundreds of years, it has found its place amidst tales of terror in the rough seas. And, like nearly every tale, there is a hint of truth within the exaggeration. Only recently was the giant squid caught, on film, alive. Because these creatures are deep sea dwellers, it took hundreds of years for live proof. Every once in a rare while, a massive tentacle would wash ashore, taunting researchers.

But in 2004, scientists successfully got footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat. There is proof of this creature at up to 46 feet in length, although scientists believe that that could easily grow up to nearly 70 feet long. The giant squid has 8 long arms, as well as two much longer tentacles. All of these are equipped with hundreds of powerful suction cups, many of which are lined with sharp and rigid spines. These spines help protect them from their natural predator, the massive sperm whale. They have the strength to tear at the whale’s thick hide, often injuring them enough so that they are able to escape.

Giant squid feed on deep sea fish by capturing them with their powerful and dangerous tentacles. They have a powerful beak, which they open to reveal what is known as a radula. A radula is a tongue with many small and sharp teeth. This tears apart at their meal, making it easy to digest.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the tales that squids would attack and destroy pirate-era sea vessels. Although no solid proof exists of squids this size, often known as kraken, there have been findings that are difficult to ignore. A still unidentified piece of a carcass washed ashore many years ago. Its skin is very similar to that of a squid, although it is many times larger than anything ever scientifically documented.

The world’s ocean is filled with a vast variety of creatures, from the tiniest of krill to the massive blue whale. They are, however, in danger. It is up to us to ensure that these creatures survive for future generations.

The largest animal that has ever been recorded to exist, the Blue Whale, is a part of the mysticeti family. The goliath aquatic creature can grow over 108 feet in length, and weigh in at over 200 short tons. That is over 400,000 pounds! A calve alone is over 23 feet at birth. Despite its huge size, however, the blue whale feeds on krill, which are a tiny form of zooplankton. They can eat up to 40 million of these miniscule creatures each and every day. These whales used to be abundant worldwide, but where greatly hunted for their blubber. Just before they were wiped from existence entirely, they were placed under protection. Now, although their numbers are increasing, they are still considered a threatened species.

Sperm whales fall in to the odontoceti category, meaning that they have teeth for hunting food. Although they are not as large as the blue whale, and adult sperm whale can still grow up to a staggering 67 feet long and weigh up to 63 short tons. The sperm whale has the largest brain of any animal, extinct or alive today. On average, their brain weighs 18 pounds. Our brain, on the other hand, only weighs, at most, three pounds. This large whale is the only known natural predator of the only recently scientifically documented giant squid. It will occasionally dive to great depths to find these squid, and use their powerful jaws to make a meal out of the dangerous creatures.

Did you know that humpback whales sing? Perhaps “sing” isn’t the right word, but they are certainly the most vocal of all of the whale species. They are also the most abundant, and are nowhere near the endangered species list, unlike many other whales. Humpbacks grow up to a maximum of 59 feet and tend to weigh about 78,000 pounds. They fall in to the mysticeti category, like blue whales. These whales are most famous for what is commonly referred to as their singing, as mentioned above. They can produce a multitude of sounds that hit different amplitudes and frequencies. Although these songs have been known to last for a full 24 hours, the average song is around 15 minutes. The sound is made by forcing air through their naval categories, as humpback whales do not have vocal cords. The exact purpose of the singing remains unknown.

The whales mentioned above are only three of the many species of whale in the world’s oceans. However, pollution and illegal whaling is assuring us of a future with fewer and fewer whales. These graceful giants are facing the effects of our pollution; and with global warming many of them run the risk of losing the migrating patterns. Without them, they will be unable to safely reproduce, bringing an abrupt end to an otherwise proud race.

These gentle creatures make up the delicate balance in the ocean.  Every creature is in the ocean for a reason, and due to pollution and global warming, the whales are starting to die.  Without the creatures of the oceans our planet is in danger.

The ocean is filled with creatures called the jelly fish.  It is a peculiar name since they are not classified as a fish at all.  They are however a very deadly creature that lives in the oceans.  The sting of a jelly fish is what they are most notorious for and some types of jellyfish the sting has earned them the title of world’s deadliest sea creature.  A single sea wasp contains enough venom to kill 60 adult males, and a single sting can kill someone in less than three minutes. Although there is anti-venom for the sting, unless it happens to be on hand at the time of the sting, it is unlikely the victim will live long enough to receive medical treatment.        

Though the stingers on this jellyfish are strong enough to bring down a fully-grown man, the type of jellyfish known as the chironex fleckeri feeds almost entirely on prawn and small fish. With tentacles as deadly as this jellyfish has, very few animals dare to try to make a meal out of it.  Sea turtles, however, have very thick skin. The venom of the sea wasp has no effect on them and tends to make a hearty meal.

Even though the sea wasp is the world’s largest box jellyfish, it is dwarfed by the arctic lion’s mane jellyfish. This jellyfish is, arguably, the world’s longest creature. Although it does not commonly grow to this length, lion’s man jellyfish have been documented at a mind blowing 120 feet long. Their bell can be as large as seven feet in diameter. The lion’s mane jellyfish only lives in cold waters and, the colder the water they live in, the larger they become.

While the chironex fleckeri only had 60 tentacles to call their own, the lion’s man has quite a few more. It has eight clusters of tentacles, and each cluster has well over 100 tentacles each. However, even with all these extra tentacles, the lion’s mane is nowhere near as deadly as the sea wasp. Although stings in humans do cause severe pain and redness, it is very rarely fatal. The potency of the sting of this jellyfish tends on where the individual was stung, and how large they are. Lion’s man jellyfish tend to have a lifespan of about a year, although their tentacles still have the ability to sting long after the jellyfish has been dead. The majority of stings from a lion’s mane jellyfish usually come from their tattered remains.

Species of box jellyfish, such as the chironex fleckeri, tend to be the only species that kill humans. It is estimated that about 30-40 people die each year as a direct result of a jellyfish sting. And this is estimated to get worse. Our seas are being overfished, and many species are dying out. Most commonly, you hear on the news about the animals that are being pushed to extinction. This has another effect, though. Jellyfish populations are skyrocketing, because they have fewer predators.

Jellyfish are the silent and elegant killers of the sea. They do nothing wrong by existing and simply floating by. It is our responsibility to acknowledge and respect them for what they are.

 When an enormous amount of energy is used to produce industrialized products, these gases are emitted into the atmosphere where they eat up the ozone layer that protects us from the scorching heat of the sun.   We are exposed to the direct contact with the UV rays from the sun.  As the earth is completely unprotected from the direct heat from the sun, there is increased in heat supply to the earth and this leads to global warming.  This leads to the question: How do this affect marine lives?

Every marine live has a particular temperature it must live.  As the sea, rivers and lakes are being heated up; there is increase in temperature of the oceans, lakes and rivers.  This makes it unbearable for marine lives that cannot live under such temperature.  The implication of this is very simply.  They are gradually losing their homes.  Not only that they are losing their homes, they will simply die off if they cannot withstand the temperature. There are indeed some marine lives that cannot move farther to the cooler region of the oceans, rivers and lakes.  These species will either get acclimatised to the situation or they will simply die off which is more likely to be the case.

Those ones that can relocate to the cooler region will move farther into the cooler region of the sea.  But there is the fear that this relocation will not solve the problem because, it may be temporary.  The more the temperature is increasing through global warming the more the waters are becoming hotter and hotter.  This means that in future, they will have no other place to move to.  They will finally give up or adapt to the situation.

Increase in temperature has resulted in the gradual melting down of the sea ice. This definitely will lead to rise in sea level.  As the sea rises in level, some marine lives are also affected.  There are some marine lives that prey on coastal habitats.  When the sea level is rising, human beings living in coastal areas are affected also but they have to build high sea walls to prevent the sea from destroying their homes.  Consequently, there is no longer escape route or migrate route for the sea mammals that can no longer withstand the temperature of their homes.

Besides, they are blocked from getting at their prey.  This spells doom for them.  They will simply die of hunger or prey on themselves.   

For aquatic animals that are inhabiting creeks, and other small waters, once the water dry off due to prolong drought they will simply die off.  Climate change indeed can rake hock in the marine world.  But we have to do something in order to save these aquatic animals from going into extinction.  If they die off, it will also affect us because we depend on them also for food.  There is need for collective effort.  We all should learn how to live an eco friendly lifestyle in order to combat climate change.

Besides the construction of dams, there are other constructions that have altered the flow of water, which can have disastrous consequences.  Can you count the numbers of houses that are being built about the water environments either for relaxation or for other purposes?  At times wetland are filled up with sands so that these building will be erected.  But man has forgotten that these wetlands are the living places of some aquatic animals.  When these wetlands are sand filled, the aquatic animals living within the area are not only greatly affected but they are rendered homeless.  Such act can result in the death of millions of them.

Today, bottled water is becoming the trend. Millions of bottled water is produced on yearly basis. Is there anything wrong with that? Definitely, no, but the extraction of the water can also constitute some problems to the aquatic environments. Most of the times some of these bottled water companies create dams in order to channel water to their companies for their production. The effect of this action is not quite different from the one explained above. They contribute in reducing the flow of water.

Sometimes runoff from the constructions sites can also cause some damage to the aquatic environment.  Chemical like carbon which can lead to ocean pollution can flow into the ocean through these runoffs.  When this happens, it is purely water pollution which results in death of many animals.

There are many other ways through which the aquatic environment can be endangered. Bad climatic condition can also have dangerous effect on the aquatic environment. The question then is: Can anything be done in order to avoid or reduce these threats to the aquatic environment?       

A Way Out

As has been said before, sometimes most of these threats are unavoidable.  We all know the importance of dams and irrigation to man. A dam can be used in the production of hydroelectricity.  It can also be used to supply water to the farm land.  It seems that there is no way out. The best way to avoid these threats is to avoid unnecessary construction of dams. Government should make law that will prohibit construction of dams unless a person is authorised to do that by a competent authority.

A means other than dams through which the bottled water companies will get water for their constructions should be devised.  Building in the wetlands should also be looked into. It will be best in my own opinion if people should be prohibited from building in the wetlands. Construction of ponds for fishing purposes should also be stop.

Farmers constructing irrigations should apply caution so that pesticides from their farms will not get mixed up with the waters of the irrigation. This can pollute the water of the river or lake where the irrigation is channelled.  All the runoffs in the construction sites should be diverted so that their waters will not get to the rivers or lakes.