The production of these toxic-filled substances continues to lead the human race on a path of natural destruction; with thousands of animal sea-life dying annually from plastic consumption. It's time we wake up to the fact that our oceans are in need of critical help. How did the plastic get into our oceans to begin with? The oceans are enormous but they are not infinite. Today, as in the past, oceans are being treated as giant disposal areas for all types of refuse (plastics, tins, bottles etc.)
Conclusion Introduction Everyday thousands of marine animals were being cruelly killed in many parts of the world. Most of them were for money. It grew worse after egg collection became legal in 1987.Many species of sea animals are in the verge of extinction. It includes whales, turtles and many kinds of fishes. Latest technological advances have increased the threat to the marine animal, especially for turtles.
In the beginning of the 20th century whalers began to exploit the herds of southern whales. With an industrialized approach to whaling in place the numbers of species began to rapidly deplete - some whale species had been reduced by more than 95%- , until some species such as Right, Blue and Humpback had been almost wiped out. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) – which has over 70 member countries around the world, and has the purpose to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry - banned all commercial whaling through a moratorium, but since then, three nations - Iceland, Norway, and Japan - have brutally slaughtered over 25,000 whales under the guise of ‘scientific research’ and for commercial purposes (Sea Shepherd). The Japanese invented the concept of 'scientific' whaling in 1987 as a way round the moratorium on commercial whaling instituted by the International
The Degradation of Coral Reefs There are numerous reports on coral reef degradation including the article I found called “Study finds Caribbean Corals in Dire Trouble”. Coral reefs, not only in the Caribbean, but world wide have been damaged losing their ecological resilience. Having seen Coral reefs while snorkeling in Hawaii, coral reefs are arguably the world’s most beautiful habitats. Coral reefs have been called the rainforest of the oceans because of their rich diversity of life they support. There are thousands of different species of plants and animals that use or live in the coral reefs.
First, the melting of ice caps and glaciers is releasing water into the oceans. Second, human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, combined with natural activities, it causes the rise of the earth's surface temperature.3 Second, climate change is already having a serious effect on every continent and throughout the world’s ocean. The consequences of sea level rise mainly reflected in three aspects: cultural heritages, indigenous communities and coastal lands. 4 First, sea level rise threats cultural world heritage. Data shows that 136 out of 700 listed cultural heritages throughout the world will be affected in the long term.
ABSTRACT Coral reefs ecosystems have drastically changed over the past 40 years. The main reasons for the decline of coral reefs is due to weather and temperature changes, too much pollution, boats, and overfishing. As a result, coral reefs are considered an endangered species. Over 50% of the people in the Florida Keys rely on the coral reefs in one way or another. Many don’t realize that they provide humans with a source of income and more importantly, life for a wide diversity of marine animals.
Many different kinds of fish live in the reefs as their haven for feeding, reproduction, and safety from predators. Without an ecosystem to live in, these fish species will become extinct. Ten percent of the world's reefs have been completely destroyed. Coral reef destruction is the worst, over 70% have been destroyed and only 5% can be said to be in good condition. What has happened to destroy so many reefs?
Ishan Joshi 1 Mercury Contamination in Aquatic Ecosystem Term Paper [Chemical Oceanography-4126] Ishan Joshi Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences Abstract Mercury is the unique and toxic element that resides in small amount in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the biosphere. After industrial revolution and increased anthropogenic activities, concentration of elemental mercury and its compounds has increased about 3-4 times in the atmosphere which resulted life-threatening and devastating influence on marine and terrestrial ecosystem. Increment in atmospheric mercury concentration resulted elevated mercury loading in the upper ocean. More than a half of the human population depends on salt water and fresh water fish for their daily diet. Since fish is the main target of mercury contamination, humans are at a lifethreatening risk by toxic effects mercury.
When Darwin was on the HMS Beagle it helped him make theories of natural selection and evolution. Sir Charles Wyville Thomson (1830-1882) was following the foot-steps of Darwin. Thomson’s boat was called the HMS Challenger. He used this boat to go all over the world in sea collecting marine specimen. The voyage that Thomson did it had birthed oceanography.
For the first time in history they will be included on the World Conservation Union’s red list of threatened species (Oliver). According to the United Nations Environment Program and the Nature Conservancy, “around 30 percent of the world's coral reefs are already damaged, some irreparably. At the present rate of destruction, by the year 2050, a breathtaking 70 percent of the world's reefs will have disappeared” (Oliver). In regions such as the Indo-Pacific, where 75 percent of the world’s reefs are located, reefs are being destroyed at 1 percent a year, which is “twice as fast as the rate of destruction of tropical rainforests”