REVITALISATION
All life as we know it today started in the oceans. The aquatic ecosystem is the mainspring of organic life, it is the harbinger of terrestrial life. The aquatic ecosystem abounds with so much life and we’ve only discovered only a fraction of that, there is so much more down there that we know not of.
Life underwater is so vast, diverse and plentiful that the great Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein said that all the world could survive on only seafood for 4 years without having to eat anything from land. Life in the oceans may be vast and plentiful and the aquatic ecosystem may constantly try to balance itself so as to achieve a stability in function, but man’s interference is constantly disrupting the aquatic world.
Pollution of the Oceans
The world oceans faces a series of threats, the most notable being pollution. This pollution is chiefly due to man’s activities on land and in the oceans. Plastic pollution is a serious threat to the world’s oceans, not only is it an eyesore, micro plastics are constantly being ingested by aquatic creatures and these materials cannot be digested by their digestive systems owing to the fact that plastic is non-biodegradable.
There has been an ever increase in industrial waste into the oceans due to an ever increase in anthropogenic activities and this is really harming the aquatic environment. Industrial wastes disbursed from industrial plants which are mostly toxic finds their way into rivers, streams and eventually the oceans. Toxic wastes from these industries finds their way into the organs of fishes and other aquatic animals leading to a process known as biomagnification. Biomagnification have a ripple effect and these toxic materials without a doubt would end up in the bowels of man owing to the fact that he feeds from the aquatic environment.
Oil spillage is a major polluter of the oceans. In the developed world, oil spillage has been greatly reduced but in the developing world, it is causing havoc. Oil spillage anywhere is not good for the environment but it is still happening and the big enchiladas who controls oil wealth aren’t doing much to curb it. Adverse effect of human activities like this is a great killer of our oceans. Something has to be done, not later, not another time, but now.
Overfishing
Excessive fishing is becoming a thing of concern. Staring us in the face is world hunger and shortage of food intertwined with an ever increasing population. The oceans may have an abundance of life but excessively pulling from that abundance constantly isn’t so a smart decision. Indeed, there is a high demand for seafood all over the world but the level of fishing isn’t just an attempt in providing supply to meet this demand, it is an exploitation of the marine world. We are the swindlers of the oceans.
Climate Change
Another serious threat the world’s oceans faces daily is the threat of climate change. Climate change without a doubt is real. An ever increase in global temperatures is causing drastic changes to our climate. Climate change is causing an abnormally increase in temperature in the oceans and as this intensifies, the coral reefs are in great danger of being exterminated. The coral reefs supports a myriad of other aquatic creatures, it is an ecosystem within an ecosystem, but this ecosystem is under the siege of climate change and this is greatly disrupting the marine ecosystem.
Reduction in Marine Biodiversity
The activities of man is not only disrupting the marine ecosystem, it is also exterminating many aquatic creatures, disrupting the food chain and food web thereby reducing marine biodiversity.
The theme for this year’s World Oceans Day is Revitalisation: Collective Action for the Ocean. There is no more time to waste, we need to step up immediately and conserve our oceans for our children unborn. We conserve the oceans by revitalizing it. Excessive fishing need to be curtailed, pollution and dumping of toxic substances into water bodies need to be stopped, we need to develop better ways at managing our wastes. We need to put in actions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Just as we have only one Earth, we’ve got only these oceans.
Let us collectively get into action for our future and the future of our children. It is our responsibility.
#ClimateActionNow #Oceans #Pollution #AllLivesMatter #WhatHasChanged #MarineEcosystem #OverFishing #OilSpillage #ClimateChange #StepUpGreen #Conservation #Biodiversity
Joshua Imoikor
