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A Guide to Ocean Conservation Organizations and Efforts

The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth — it is the planet’s life support system and is affected by overfishing, pollution, and habitat...

The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth — it is the planet’s life support system and is affected by overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction, compromising its ability to sustain humans with food, livelihoods and climate regulation. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the movements and organizations making waves in ocean conservation

Healthy oceans sustain life here on planet earth — our security, our economy and our survival all require and are dependent on healthy oceans. Oceans provide us with food – seafood makes up at least a sixth of the animal protein people eat.

Oceans produce the air we breathe and the weather we experience. The ocean produces over half of the world’s oxygen and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere.

Oceans regulate our climate. Covering 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, the ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles, regulating our climate and weather patterns.

From hotel rooms to dive trips and fishing trips, from clothing and fishing gear, the oceans support jobs. It is estimated that the oceans are responsible for more than $282B in revenue in the U.S. alone.

The ocean and its coral reefs provide natural breakwaters to buffer and protect our shorelines. The reef’s rough surfaces and complex structures dissipate the force of incoming waves, helping prevent flooding, erosion, property damage and loss of life.

Because of the impact the oceans have on every minute of every day, and on our future, ocean conservation is more essential now than ever before.

Many factors are affecting our oceans health today. Sea temperatures are increasing and the warmer oceans cause corals to bleach and die. Oceans today absorb about one-third of the carbon dioxide sent into the atmosphere — about 22 million tons a day. Increased carbon means higher levels of acidification — about 30 times greater than previous norms. This higher acidity results in the disruption of calcium carbonate formation. This can affect whole ecosystems, such as coral reefs, which depend on the formation of calcium carbonate to build reef structure, which in turn provides homes for reef organisms.

Pollution is a key factor in our oceans health. Many pesticides and nutrients used in agriculture end up in the coastal waters, resulting in oxygen depletion that kills marine plants and shellfish. Factories and industrial plants still discharge sewage and other runoff into the oceans. Oil spills pollute the oceans. Air pollution is responsible for almost one-third of the toxic contaminants and nutrients that enter coastal areas and oceans.

Over fishing is also contributing to our oceans declining health. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 31.4 percent of fish stocks are either fished to capacity or over fished.

A recent Dive Training article, The Sickly Seas: Reaping the Unwanted Harvest of a Plastic Overload outlines the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and how it’s endangering marine life including seabirds, and the fact that humans are indirectly consuming plastics through the seafood we eat.

Ocean Conservation: Turning the Tide

There’s no shortage of factors affecting the health of our oceans, but there’s good news on the horizon, too. Out there, beyond the predictions, are legions of individuals, communities, businesses, non-governmental agencies and governments working to solve the problems. Let’s take a look at some of the people helping to make ocean conservation a reality.

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A Guide To Ocean Conservation Organizations And Efforts - Dive Training Magazine