The State of the Oceans
Posted on June 21, 2011 Comments (9)
World’s oceans in ‘shocking’ decline
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ocean acidification, warming, local pollution and overfishing are acting together to increase the threat to coral reefs – so much so that three-quarters of the world’s reefs are at risk of severe decline.
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The report also notes that previous mass extinction events have been associated with trends being observed now – disturbances of the carbon cycle, and acidification and hypoxia (depletion of oxygen) of seawater.
Levels of CO2 being absorbed by the oceans are already far greater than during the great extinction of marine species 55 million years ago (during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum), it concludes.
The overfishing of our oceans has been a problem for over 100 years and a known problem, that we continue to give too little attention to. Adding to that impacts of climate change and the state of ocean life is in trouble. The decision of our population to not deal with the causes of climate change will have very bad consequences. It is a shame we have so little caring about the consequences of our decisions. And even sadder that our “leaders” do such an appalling job of leading – instead they pander to selfish immediate gratification.
Related: Altered Oceans: the Crisis at Sea (2006) – Unless We Take Decisive Action, Climate Change Will Ravage Our Planet – Arctic System on Trajectory to New, Seasonally Ice-Free State (2005)
9 Responses to “The State of the Oceans”
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June 23rd, 2011 @ 4:35 am
It’s heartbreaking to hear that whales can’t find their mate because the noise of the ships it’s covering their songs.
June 23rd, 2011 @ 6:16 am
It is obvious to know that the oceans are suffering the big impact of our pollution and interference in the Eco system, whatever we had learned in our school textbooks about the adverse impacts, it seems that.. it is going to happen in reality and this is not a good news for our future as well as current generation.
June 24th, 2011 @ 9:00 am
And those Japanes act is if there’s nothing wrong about what they do. It’s a damn shame and something’s needs to be done! I hop a lot of people read your blog!
June 27th, 2011 @ 2:28 am
That’s why we need to support the cause of sustainable development as this is global problem and happens not only on our oceans but nature in general.
July 4th, 2011 @ 8:07 am
Politically it doesn’t seem to matter worth a dam except in maybe Iceland (they invented the concept of 200 mile limit).
So countries like my own (Canada) doesn’t aggressively protect against foreign (mostly European) fishing.
July 5th, 2011 @ 10:43 pm
I am afraid that the planet is doomed. It is not just the oceans. It’s the forests, the air, everything. There are just too many people and it is only going to get worse. I hate to be so pessimistic. I grew up in Kenya in the 1950’s and 60’s and I remember my father, who was an entomologist and sort of 19th century style polymath naturalist predicting all of this back then.
July 9th, 2011 @ 9:44 am
Yes, indeed, it’s sad, but unfortunately we can do nothing to change this, not everybody cares about over fishing and its crucial consequences.
June 20th, 2012 @ 7:14 am
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