Adopt a Watershed

The distribution of plant species, such as the vast amount of plankton in the ocean life cycle, or the sun’s energy levels or the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere thanks to mankind can have an effect on temperatures and the circulation patterns of the ocean-atmosphere interconnecting systems. Our oceans and our atmosphere are closely linked. In combination they are the most dynamic aspect of our climate system.

Major volcanic eruptions can have an effect our weather patterns. Ash and smoke clouds can cool down the temperature of the oceans by blocking out the sun rays. Clouds can also reduce the salt levels in our oceans by excessive rain fall. These dramatic events can have a major impact on our weather, oceanic life and therefore on us.

Changes in water temperature can have dramatic effects on all life, not just ocean life. With ice caps melting a cooling down of our oceans will have a major effect on the world’s climate.

The Circle of Life

Ocean life is a major food source to us, but may also be a source of energy in the near future. We fish for cod, prawns, shrimp, mackerel and sardines to name but a few. Some marine plants are being investigated by medical researchers, while other scientists are looking to plankton to become the next big thing in energy resources. Hydrology is an energy source waiting to be exploited.

Medical research into certain types of fish has discovered they can jump start their hearts, which is now becoming a major topic of study for the benefit of heart patients. Ocean life has so much to teach us, we are only at the beginning of discovering this vast resource, when it is already threatened by our greed and negligence.

The humble shrimp, which is a staple part of human diet in many parts of the world, has unwittingly caused major disruption in ocean life. Trawl nets used in shrimping have been identified as a major source of mortality in several species such as cetaceans and finfish. The by-catch is discarded, thrown overboard as dead or dying. The shrimp fisheries are responsible for needlessly destroying as much as 20 pounds of other ocean life for every pound of shrimp caught. Worldwide the shrimping industry is responsible for approximately 2% of the world’s overall catch of fish in weight, but shrimping alone is responsible for a staggering 30% of the world’s overall by-catch destruction of ocean life.

Having cheerfully destroyed most of the planet’s fish stocks of cod, mankind has now set its heart on destroying the mackerel, which is also a major food source to ocean life such as shearwater, dolphins, tuna, whales, orca, marlins, seagulls and types of sharks. While Iceland, the Faroes in Scotland and Norway debate over who should catch the largest fish quota, mackerel fish stock are drifting further and further north, with depleted generations struggling to recover.

Ocean life is infinitely precious and vulnerable. Some eco systems like the Arctic Ocean are delicate and slow to recover from damage or human disruption caused by energy source exploitation or over fishing. Oceans are the circle of life and their state of health affects us all.

Almost 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the oceans sustain life on our planet.  It is amazing how much the oceans affect our weather, our food supply and our existence.  Of all the four oceans, listed below are two of them.

The Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the planet’s oceans. Covering about 20% of the planet’s surface, the Atlantic stretches for some 106,400,000 sq km across the globe. The Atlantic is divided by the Equator into the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean.

Ocean life is rich and varied, including such endangered species as manatees, sea lions, seals, sea turtles and whales.

The evil practice of drift net fishing kills thousands of dolphins, albatrosses, petrels, auks and other seabirds every year and is also responsible for the decline of sea turtles. Over fishing has caused catastrophic fish stock decline in many parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Industrial waste and sewage pollution are also responsible for fish stock decline and ocean life loss on an unprecedented scale.

The Indian Ocean

Located between Africa in the west, Australia to the east, Asia to the north, and Antarctica to the south, the Indian Ocean lays some 90% to the south of the Equator.

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of Earth’s oceans, covering some 20% of all the water on the planet’s surface.

The warm temperatures of the sea water keep the production of phytoplankton low. This major lack of food source has limited ocean life and lacks bio diversity of marine creatures. Among the threatened marine animals are the dugong, sea turtles, seals, and whales. The bordering countries surrounding the Indian Ocean compete for fish stocks as a domestic and export food source. Fishing fleets from Japan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan regularly trawl for shrimp and tuna.

The Indian Ocean’s water volume is estimated to be some 292,131,000 cubic kilometres. Islands within the Indian Ocean are Madagascar, which is the world’s fourth largest island, the Seychelles, Reunion Island, the Maldives, Mauritius, the Comoros islands; Seychelles and the archipelago of Indonesia to the east.

Some of the few large rivers which flow into the Indian Ocean are the Zambezi, the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra River. The monsoon largely controls the currents. The dominant flow pattern of the water is determined by two large circular currents, namely one in the northern hemisphere flowing clockwise and one south of the equator moving anticlockwise. The monsoon reverses the flow of the currents in the north during the winter months.

The Importance of Ocean Life

Ocean life is a vast food resource for mankind and marine creatures alike, providing humans also with medicine and raw materials. Oceans provide recreation and bring in vast amounts of money through tourism as well as influencing the planet’s weather patterns. Of the five major oceans the Arctic Sea has the lowest salinity level owing to low evaporation, a limited connection and outflow to other oceanic seas with higher salt water content and a large influx of freshwater from streams and rivers in North America and Eurasia.

The Abyss contains the most undersea volcanoes, with over 5000 of them active. Many of them are much larger than any we see on land. The explosions are one of the leading causes of disastrous tsunamis. They behave no differently than land volcanoes, erupting with both smoke and molten lava, even thousands of feet below the sea level.

Above The Abyss is what is known as the Bathypelagic Zone. Like the two aforementioned zones, sunlight does not real the Bathypelagic Zone, often named the Midnight Zone. As such, animals with eyes rely on bioluminescence as a source of light. What is bioluminescence?

By literal definition, bioluminescence means “living light” in a combination of both Greek and Latin. A bioluminescent animal is one that creates its own light, without the use of the sun. Although this has various uses when used on land, such as by fireflies or dragonflies, it is used underwater for one main purpose, and that is attraction.

Angler fish, for example, have a bioluminescent light that hangs near their mouth. Smaller fish are attracted to this light and, by the time they are close enough to realize what it really is, it is too late. Each time they activate the light, though, the run the risk of attracting a fisher larger than they are, seeking a meal.

Occasionally, bioluminescence can be used as a form of escape. Some squid that live within the Midnight Zone have a series of bioluminescent areas on their body, which they can use to temporarily blind, daze, and confuse potential attacks. That, along with their use of ink, helps insure their survival in the cold depths.

Although whales do not make the Midnight Zone their home, it is not uncommon to find a sperm whale in search of food, gliding through the cold dark waters. Although this zone is beginning to get nearer to the surface, though, there is still no plant life to be found because the sun’s rays cannot penetrate the many feet of ocean water.

The Bathypelagic Zone is also home to the legendary giant squid species, one of the largest known living organisms on our planet. This mammoth of a beast has been documented to grow up to 50 feet in length. Stories in history also tell of even larger squids surfacing from the depths to wreak havoc on unsuspecting ships. Although nothing of the sort has been scientifically documented, many scientists believe it entirely possible that a creature that size could exist somewhere in the darker depths of the ocean.

Over the past century, scientists have discovered vast amounts of new information about our oceans.  New forms of life have been discovered, and realities about the true depths of our ocean have been revealed. However, even amidst all the discovery and scientific breakthroughs, much remains unknown about these mysterious aquatic environments.

New methods of aquatic exploration are being researched and created quite often, allowing humans to ascend into this unknown territory further and further. What is waiting for us down in these chilling depths is anybody’s guess, although it would be fair to assume that, in a world so different from ours, it would be unlike anything we could imagine.

Noise pollution is not only noise from ships, cruise liners and boat that can pollute the ocean, noise from heavy machines used in working in locations near the ocean can also pollute the ocean for the marine lives.   Playing of music at the highest volume with high sounding loudspeaker in the beaches can also affect the ocean lives living within.

Another fact about ocean pollution is that it can lead to clogging of water bodies. When plastic bottles and other plastic waste materials are dumped into the sea, they will keep floating, but they can also lead to the clogging of the water bodies. The typical example of such clogging of water bodies is that observed in the North Pacific.  It is caused by these plastic trash as well as the wreckages of the ships. The accumulation of trash may seem to be simply and light. But it is not. The accumulation of this trash can cover a large area in the ocean.  It has been estimated by scientists that trash accumulation created in the North Pacific can be up to the size of Taxes. Is this not big enough to call for caution?

Another thing that you should know about ocean pollution is that it has some dangerous effects on the marine lives as have been noted above. Ocean pollution directly affects the marine species.  For instance, when there is oil spill, the ocean becomes inhabitable to the fishes and other marine species. Oil spills always result in the death of thousands of fishes and other marine mammals.  The implication of this is that if ocean pollution especially oil spill is not controlled in the nearest future most of the marine will go into extinction. 

Though ocean pollution is the contamination of the ocean, other terrestrial animals as well as birds are affected. Many wild animals depend on the ocean for their drinking water. They can also be harmed if they drink contaminated water from the ocean.  It is no longer a question of “it can” but ocean pollution does kill animals and birds.  There have been antecedents that have proved that to be true.  Sea birds are also affected by ocean pollution.  Million of sea birds have met their untimely deaths due to ocean pollution.  There are other animals that prey on fishes and other marine animals.  These animals can also be harmed by ocean pollution if they eat dead marine animals and fish that have been killed as result of ocean pollution.

Indeed many people do not know that ocean pollution can also result in the death of man. One of the basic sources of protein in man is fish. When these fishes in the ocean gradually die off due oil spillage, man will suffer also. The implication of this is that there will be no fish for man. Another problem is that sea food can also become poisoned by some chemicals that pollutes the sea. If somebody eats such sea food, the person will automatically die.