Why Healthy Oceans Matter
The ocean is vast, and it gives us innumerable benefits. It covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface. It gives us food, regulates our climate, and also provides the oxygen we breathe.
The benefits of the ocean are endless. But, we still face the fact that there are threats that results from human activities.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, each year, billions of pounds of trash and other pollutants enter the ocean.
Life on Earth is impossible without the ocean. It is the largest ecosystem on the whole planet. Without it, we don't survive.
Breaking down, here are some of the reasons why the ocean is vital to life.
- It helps regulate the climate - It regulates carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It absorbs, stores, and release greenhouse gas that affects the climate.
- It's an essential source of food - Billions of people rely on water for food. It is one of the most valuable natural resources. About 200 billion pounds of food in the form of fish and shellfish are caught each year.
- It's a source of oxygen - 50-80% of oxygen comes from the ocean. They come from these small plants called phytoplankton. These ocean-living plants release molecular oxygen as a waste product of photosynthesis.
- It gives jobs - The ocean-based industries rose to more than 400 million people. The ocean economy also serves great importance in countries.
People think that the ocean is limitless and immune to damage. But we have put our ocean at risk for far too long. Now is the time to act.
"With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you're connected to the sea."
— Sylvia Earle