The Oceans Health

[Earth is] an ocean planet, and so [humans] must think about what surrounds [them].
[They] cannot take it for granted if [they] seek to thrive as a species. And [they] must each
endeavor to protect our oceans by thinking about them, caring for them and taking steps to be
more in harmony with them (Future of Our Oceans) The oceans affect everyones life and if
the oceans are gone, humans will die off, also. The oceans health is very important because we
are a planet that depends on the oceans; in fact over 70% of the earths surface is covered in
water (Future of Our Oceans). Humans rely on the ocean for many of their needs, and in the
news, there has been a lot of buzz about the oceans not being healthy. BBC has an article,
Health of oceans declining fast, CBS states, U.S. polluting ocean with trash at alarming
rate, NBC exclaims Millions of Tons! Scientists Tally up Plastic Pollution in Oceans. Are
these articles really true, are the oceans actually unhealthy, or are the articles over exaggerating
the state that the oceans are in now? The oceans are not healthy and this is proven by the plastic
and chemicals going into the waters, the corals condition, and by other trash which is found in
the ocean and in marine life.
The amount of plastic and chemicals found within the oceans and other bodies of water,
provides proof the oceans are not healthy. The oceans are teaming with plastic. With millions
of tons of such trash in the North Pacific Gyre, the water now resembles "plastic soup," Moore
told Good Morning America. (Bloomberg). Plastic is the most common trash that is found in
the ocean because anything that is dropped on the ground, goes into the ocean through the
waterways and pollutes it. Storms will blow trash into sewers, rivers or any water source, and
these will eventually lead into the oceans. Almost 80% of the trash in the ocean is plastic
(Bloomberg). The plastic in the ocean affects not only the animals that are eating and digesting

it, but humans also. When chemicals get into the ocean, they absorb into some of the plastic.
The toxins can enter food chains and end up concentrated in the seafood we eat (Bloomberg).
If fish eat the plastic, which happens often, not only is the plastic in their systems, clogging them
up, sometimes fatally, but the chemicals are also in their bodies. If humans then eat the fish
which digested these chemicals from the plastic, they will be consuming hazardous chemicals
with it. Plastics and the chemicals they contain are causing harm to the ocean, the marine life
living in it and the humans that consume the marine life.
The condition of many corals confirms that the oceans are not healthy. Coral has an
algae inside of it that is called zooxanthellae. The zooxanthellae is what gives the coral its
vibrant color, and allows photosynthesis to take place in the coral, giving it food. When the coral
gets stressed, it releases the zooxanthellae from itself, which gives the coral a lack of color and
takes away its ability to get food (Corals and Coral Reefs). This is called coral bleaching and
it happens naturally when El Nio comes. El Nio is when the Pacific Ocean waters warms
naturally every four to five years, but the oceans temperatures are now increasing more
frequently from global warming. Simon states, Warming ocean temperatures [are] affecting
the reefs. Reefs can recover after a bad bleaching year, (when a lot of the coral is killed and
turns white) but the long-term outlook for the worlds coral reefs is not good. (Simon) Global
warming is changing the temperatures of the oceans, which is creating stress for the corals more
frequently than before. This means they then let out their zooxanthellae and are unable to get
food for a year. The corals are able to survive one year with no zooxanthellae, which helps them
eat, but they cannot survive for much longer without them. If the seas are warming up, it forces
the coral to rid itself of zooxanthellae unnaturally, and too often, causing the coral to die. Coral
is in danger because of global warming caused by humans. Coral reefs are the most diverse of

all marine ecosystems. They team with life, with perhaps one quarter of all ocean species
depending on reefs for food and shelter. This is a remarkable statistic when you consider that
reefs cover just a tiny fraction (less than one percent) of the earths surface (Corals and Coral
Reefs). Coral is not just pleasing to look at, it is necessary for approximately 25% of sea
animals, and if those animals became extinct, there would be many more animals which would
be endangered. The declining health of the oceans coral is an indicator that the health of the
ocean is also declining.
Finally, one last way to prove that the oceans are not healthy is by the trash found in them
and in marine life. A sailor was fishing one day when he stumbled across an amplitude of
garbage that was floating on the ocean; this mass of garbage is now called the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch (Bloomberg). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas. It is
an expanse of trash that's accumulated in the North Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles off the
coasts of California and Hawaii (Bloomberg). Texas is approximately 268,820 square miles,
and twice that would be 537,640 square miles. This means that almost 540,000 square miles of
trash is sitting on top of the ocean, polluting it. There are garbage patches like this all over the
oceans, but most are in remote areas around the world where human contact with them is
uncommon. These garbage patches are in the middle of a gyre. A gyre is a system of ocean
currents that make a swirling motion (Wilcox). Trash is found in the bodies of many sea animals
and is wreaking havoc in their systems. Many animals, sea turtles and bird are perishing because
they ate plastic, and it is backing up their digestive system (Wilcox). Whenever trash is thrown
on the ground, it frequently ends up in the ocean, as most litter will make its way to the waters of
the world. This is creating unhealthy situations with both the ocean and its sea creatures.

On the other side of the equation, what if the oceans are healthier than what is believed?
What if they are not in the poor condition which many humans believe to be true? The amount
of plastic in the ocean is less than what was thought to be there (Wilcox). To stay in business,
news programs need to get attention, and negative news attracts more attention from viewers
because it creates more of a reaction. What if the news is over exaggerating the facts about the
ocean being unhealthy and in danger, just to attract more attention and higher ratings? 50 years
ago whales seemed headed for extinction as industrial scale purse seining for tuna killed
millions each year as bycatch (Ocean Isnt Dying). That has changed, thanks to treaties,
legislation and industry improvements. There are some regulations and improvements that
are helping to restore parts of the ocean.
The oceans are not healthy overall, and protecting them is necessary. One way to do
this is to cut down or diminish the use of fertilizer (Future of Our Oceans). Using
alternative methods instead of fertilizers or harsh chemicals that seep into the worlds water
supply, would help make the ocean healthier. Another solution to this problem is [to buy]
products with minimal packaging, [to participate] in local beach cleanups and [to recycle] and
[re-use] plastic. (Blooming). Since plastic is one of the most abundant packaging materials, and
it does not easily decompose, using products that do not pack with plastic would also help create
a healthier ocean environment. There are other ways that people can participate in helping to
clean the ocean. One example is to bring this problem to the attention of those in authority, such
as, an individual who sued the state government because the beach he jogged on was littered
with sewage (Future of Our Oceans). Writing letters in support of laws that protect our ocean
and waterways could make a significant impact on the laws that pass to ensure the long term
health of the waters of the world.

This issue is not merely about the health of the oceans; it is

important also because of the impact that the ocean has on the lives of all humans. Therefore,
the problem of helping to restore health to our ocean must be addressed. And without the sea,
the earth would be a world without a life (Simon).

Works Cited
Blomberg, Lindsey. "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch." E: The Environmental Magazine 22.3
(2011): 8. Middle Search Plus. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.

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Craig, Robin Kundis, and Sarah Miller. "Ocean Discharge Criteria And Marine Protected Areas:
Ocean Water Quality Protection Under The Clean Water Act." Boston College
Environmental Affairs Law Review 29.1 (2001): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6
Nov. 2015.
"Good News: The Ocean Isn't Dying." Ocean Health Index. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
Simon, Seymour. Oceans. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian, 2006. Print.
Simon, Seymour. "Children's Book Review: Seymour Simon's Extreme Oceans by Seymour
Simon. Chronicle, $17.99 (60p) ISBN 978-1-4521-0833-9." PublishersWeekly.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
The Future Of Our Oceans." Vital Speeches Of The Day 78.2 (2012): 66-68. Academic Search
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"Where Are Corals Found?" NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program:. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec.
2015.
Wilcox, Christie. "There Are Now Five Trillion Pieces Of Plastic Floating In An Ocean Near
You." Popular Science 286.6 (2015): 32. Middle Search Plus. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.