The Purpose of Marine Life Overall
Marine, sea, or ocean life is the plants, animals, and many other organisms that live in the saltwater. This can include seas or oceans which are large bodies of water. Marine life affects the nature of the planet as a whole. Many people think that the most common animal that is explored in the ocean is fish. However, in reality, the most common animal in the ocean is Plankton. In our oceans, there are a number of environmental conditions that affect the growth of the sea and the survivability and productivity of the marine organisms. These include light availability, oxygen levels, water movement, density and pH.
Marine life is important because it supports livelihood of every other organism on earth other than humanity. The ocean provides more than just seafood for us humans. The ingredients found in food products from the sea seem to be surprising. These ingredients can help fight cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. Furthermore, the ocean provides our global community with 15 percent of the animal protein we eat.
Importance of Biodiversity Worldwide
Marine Biodiversity can prevent one species’ extinction from causing wider negative impacts on a marine ecosystem. Scientists say, ” An ecological system is resilient if it keeps functioning even when the population of a species declines, or a species become extinct.” Biodiversity is crucial to our food supplies and has an effect on the ability of farmers, fishermen and livestock keepers to produce food as well as other goods and services. It is a critical aspect of all three pillars of sustainable development. The economic, social, and environmental impact supports the healthy functioning of the planet. This provides services that underpin the health, well-being, and prosperity of humanity.
Humans rely on biodiversity for survival purposes. However, human activities are usually the cause of these huge declines. Most of the time this is seen in the ocean where fish is driving the greatest biodiversity loss. It is difficult to keep track of this because it is hard monitoring and keeping track of daily human activities. The ocean is a vast area which is still unknown to humans. The only way to help this is to reduce everything. For example, reduce waste, pollutants such as vehicle pollution, use less energy, and shop wisely. Furthermore, overfishing in the ocean becomes a problem. When too many fish are taken out of the sea, it creates an imbalance.
The Fish Industry Effect
The fishing industry has been responsible for harmful environmental impacts. Overfishing can deplete resources and many animals like dolphins and sea turtles. The industry is responsible for taking out, processing and marketing fish from ocean, rivers and lakes. Fishing is one of the primary sources for food production.
A study that was captured in 2022 revealed about 8.34 billion pounds of fish were caught in the United States. Over 200 million people in the United States rely on fishing as an income. The statistic is a powerful reminder of the impact the fishing industry has on the global economy. However, the largest fish industry is in China. In 2021, they nearly supplied 86 million metric tons of fish.
In many countries, fish is the primary source for protein and essential nutrients. It also provides a vital source of income for small scale fishers and their families. Moreover, it can help protect marine ecosystems and maintain fish stocks at healthy levels. Healthy fish populations lead to healthy oceans and it’s our responsibility to be a part of the solution.
Why are Oceans so Salty?
Salt in the ocean comes from two sources. One source is runoff from the land and openings in the seafloor. The second source is rocks on the land are the major source of the salts that dissolve into the ocean. Rainwater that falls on land is slightly acidic, so it erodes rocks. The Atlantic Ocean has the highest salinity, as mentioned by the National Weather Service. This is because salinity decreases near the equator and at both poles. The salinity of an ocean varies in different areas. All oceans on Earth have saltwater. The only place where freshwater can mix is at river deltas. At those particular locations, nothing prevents fresh from mixing with salt.
Written by Nyaire White
Sources:
quora.com – Where the Atlantic ocean and the Pacific ocean meet, what prevents salt water from mixing with fresh?
ceimperial.ucanr.edu – Salton Sea and Salinity
oceanservice.noaa.gov – Why is the ocean salty?
Featured Image Courtesy of Scott Thieman‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Daniela‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
