The Importance of Ocean Awareness

As a boy, I feared the ocean. That’s not to say that I didn’t go in, or interact with it, but as a child who learned early on that life is fragile. It terrified me! So, much was unknown; the life it supported uncomprehendingly vast and knowing that the very weather could both be influenced by and influencing was too much for me to take in. The funny thing though is despite all this, the sound, smell and sight of it relaxed me too (still does, all water does) which I guess is a bit of a contradiction, or perhaps confirmation that my young mind’s thoughts on the ocean were more primal than I realised.

Respecting Nature

My nan, who lived by the coast; would regularly reassure me that it’s a beautiful thing and that its danger comes from not being respected or from people underestimating it. She’d say that as long as I never did that I would be ok. I was an awkward and argumentative child and this made no sense to me, after all were victims of a tsunami disrespecting the ocean? Well of course not, but I can say that her words stuck, I never did disrespect or underestimate the ocean to this day.

As an adult, I learned what she meant of course. It’s a lesson she taught me many times which is nature itself is to be both awed and respected. It has the power for great destruction, yes, but all life comes from it and that destruction is worsened by our lack of respect.

It a complicated thing to ponder on but humans too often mistake our adaptability with superiority. We think of conquering and overcoming nature (be it forest or ocean) and now we’re facing mass extinctions and have mutilated our oceans.

Ocean Awareness

Whilst I love my nan, this isn’t a post about my nan it’s a post about the ocean. My nan was right, you see and the truth is that we aren’t showing the ocean enough respect. We’re abusing it in worse and worse ways and the process of paying the price has truly begun.

I want to focus on what it is that the sea gives us, why it is not only important but vital that preservation efforts are amplified beyond their current levels. Here are ten things you should know about the ocean…

#1) Climate Regulation

The general climate and weather patterns are regulated by the ocean and its currents. Heat is taken from the equator and distributed all the way to the poles.

#2) Food Supplies

Whether you’re a fan of seafood or not, even if you’re against fishing – the truth is that many food supplies come from the ocean itself. Peanut butter is a great example as it contains carrageenan; an ingredient extracted from particular types of red algae.

#3) Medicinal Supplies

Most mainstream medical treatments are synthesised with natural ingredients.  Even if the end result is something a little less natural. Treatments for heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer all actively contain ingredients from the ocean. The same ocean we are continuously threatening.

#4) The Air that You Breath

If like me; you are somewhat partial to being able to breath then you might want to think twice about polluting the ocean. Over 70% of the world’s oxygen comes from the ocean, most of which comes from marine algae.

#5) Health Benefits

There are many reasons why a day at the beach just feels good. Some include the fact that:

• Sea salt is a natural antibacterial remedy to a number of ailments.
• The ocean is visually appealing.
• Sea air is refreshing.
• The ocean is full of magnesium which is one of the more common building blocks of your body.

#6) The MAJORITY of Life on Earth is from the Ocean

We’re not talking by any small margin either. The exact number depends on who you ask and what they’re including but at one of the more stricter definitions; a mind-blowing 94% or more of life on our planet is from the sea.

#7) Most of the Planet IS Ocean

By definition an ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. It’s the idea that all things have an effect on each other, each species plays a part in the other’s survival within the environment we share. It is a scientific fact that Earth is composed of many ecosystems and of course, shares a much larger one.

So, when we consider the fact that more than 70% of the Earth’s surface is water (and that is hardly an insignificant amount); what does that mean when we kill that life to extinction level numbers or pollute with vast quantities of plastic for the remaining 30%?

Worth a thought, surely?

#8) The Planet’s Largest Living Structure is Ocean-based

Wikipedia can explain this one better than I ever could:

“The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia”

What Wikipedia failed to mention is the awesome fact that the GBR can be viewed from space!

#9) The Sea Provides Economical Benefits

According to UNCTAD: the blue economy worldwide is worth USD 3-6 trillion a year with more than 3 billion dependent on the ocean for their livelihoods. They stress the importance of conservation and ecological responsibility for this reason among many others.

#10) It helps battle Greenhouse Gasses

I mentioned earlier about oxygen, well that same algae absorbs CO2 and uses that to grow and flourish. When the algae dies, it then remains in the ocean rather than the atmosphere.

So, there you have it. Some awesome things you should know about the ocean. Of course there are many, many more cool and amazing things to learn about the sea and hopefully, this will serve as a good starting point and pique your curiosity a little.