Save Eco Destinations

More countries across the globe are taking seriously the international goal of turning 10 per cent of coastal and marine waters into marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2020, according to a report prepared by the Nature Conservancy and presented this month at a United Nations biodiversity conference held in Hyderabad, India.

Mark Spalding, senior marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy who led the team that gathered the data, recognised that the size of protected areas is small when set against available sqmi of ocean.

Currently, MPAs cover much less than 1 per cent of the world’s oceans, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

But things are quickly changing.

Between 2003-7, MPAs expanded at a rate of about 11.8 per cent a year to cover about 2.5 million square kilometers. By 2010, they spanned some 4.8 million square kilometers – an average growth rate of 31 per cent for each of the intervening three years.

In 2012, protected areas stretch across about 8.2 million square kilometers, making the annual growth rate since 2010 an average of 35 per cent.

Over the next 12-24 months, another 5.2 million square kilometers of MPAs could be added if Cook Islands, Australia and New Caledonia push through with their plans.

One reason for the accelerated growth rate is that a few countries have been working to preserve vast breadths of pristine marine ecosystems that not commonly navigated, such as waters within the US exclusive economic zones (EEZ) off northwestern Hawaii and the Mariana Islands in the Pacific.

Although originally countries had agreed to meet the 10 per cent coverage target by this year, it was clear by 2010 that this target would not be reached, Spalding told. At a United Nations biodiversity conference in 2010 in Japan, negotiators moved the deadline to 2020, while simultaneously rewording the goals to offer more specific guidance on what areas were to receive protection.

The new goals detailed that MPAs would include regions that humans rely on for food or livelihood, regions that safeguard biodiversity and that conservation efforts must reach deep inland to embrace areas whose runoff flows into the rivers that empty into coastal waters.

“If you get it right, you’ll be generating such benefits for people that the whole system should snowball. People look over their shoulders, see an MPA down the road, and say: ‘We want one of those,’” Spalding added.

As problematic as Greenpeace can be sometimes, I have to say I love what its activists do.

Just today, the environmental group successfully interfered with a super-trawler leaving from the Netherlands for Australia. Activist climbers and divers sabotaged the 140-meter-long FV Margiris in the Dutch port of Ijmuiden by placing a chain around the ship’s propeller and establishing themselves on the cables between the ship and the quay.

The Lithuanian-flagged FV Margiris, one of the world’s largest fishing trawlers, will be re-flagged as Australian and sent off to catch more than 17,000 tonnes of baitfish off the southern island state of Tasmania. The ship’s operators are waiting to receive government approval to leave for Devonport.

“Wherever this ship has gone it has destroyed fish stocks and ruined fishermen’s livelihoods,” Greenpeace oceans campaigner Nathaniel Pelle argued. “Along with a broad cross-section of the community that has declared the Margiris unwelcome, we will be ramping up efforts to stop it doing the same in Australian waters.”

Pelle said that given its history of “plundering oceans elsewhere,” allowing the Margiris to fish in Australian waters represents a mockery of the country’s recent environmental commitments, including its immense network of new marine reserves. Just two weeks ago, Environment Minister Tony Burke announced that Australia will soon have the world’s largest network of marine parks, consisting of five main zones surrounding each of the country’s states and territories, including extending reef protection in the Coral Sea, although it does not ban all commercial fishing there. It would expand the number of protected areas from 27 to 60 and span 3.1 million square kilometers — one-third of Australia’s waters.

“The Margiris is bad news for Australia and globally irresponsible. Offering this vessel yet another fishing ground to plunder simply perpetuates an unsustainable fishing industry,” he stated.

In Tasmania, a petition against the ship’s imminent arrival has attracted thousands of signatures, including those of celebrities such as singer Guy Sebastian and surfer Kelly Slater. Moreover, Australia’s Green Party wants the vessel banned and Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie earlier this week encouraged Prime Minister Julia Gillard to do the same.

Unfortunately, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has dismissed concerns about the super-trawler, saying it would have little if any impact on the broader ecosystem in light of the strict catch limits already in place. AFMA also noted that the trawler will be allowed to catch only 10 per cent of available fish, a figure it calls highly precautionary figure because it falls well below international standards.

Seafish Tasmania assured that on-board observers will make sure it complies with the rules. I’m sure we can trust a corporation that makes its money off fishing when it tells us that it will abide by the rules and that its gigantic ship will not cause harm to the ecosystem, right?

Seafish Director Gerry Geen said the AFMA-set quota was estimated to be 5 per cent of the total Australian fishery for baitfish.

“It’s not the size of the boat that matters, it’s the size of the quota,” Geen commented. “The normal process is under way now for Margiris to be registered as an Australian vessel.”

He said his company plans to start fishing in August.

I hope Greenpeace wins this one.

 

Australia will soon have the world’s largest network of marine parks, Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced. It would expand the number of protected areas from 27 to 60 and span 3.1 million square kilometers — one-third of Australia’s waters.

The network consists of five main zones surrounding each of the country’s states and territories.

“It’s time for the world to turn a corner on protection of our oceans,” Burke affirmed. “Australia today is leading that next step.”

“This new network of marine reserves will help ensure that Australia’s diverse marine environment, and the life it supports, remain healthy, productive and resilient for future generations,” he added.

The proposed network extends reef protection in the Coral Sea and would give protection to Australia’s biggest undersea mountain range, the Diamantina fracture zone off the southwest coast, and new parts of the Coral Sea that are vital nesting grounds for green turtles and home to large predatory fish and sharks.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Australia celebrated the news, calling the plan an “important example to the world.”

Still, the plan is not as ambitious as environmental groups had hoped, as they were pushing for banning all commercial fishing in the Coral Sea.

Fishers, of course, say the plan goes too far. Meanwhile, the Greens argue it does not go far enough.

As for commercial fishers, the government will compensate them with up to AUD 100 million (USD 99.6 million) for keeping them out of some of the new marine parks.

The marine reserves network is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

On June 8th, communities around the globe will celebrate World Oceans Day as an opportunity to learn more about our ocean and take action to help conserve it. This year the celebration is bigger than ever with hundreds of family-friendly events at aquariums, zoos, museums, exciting online events, and strong prospects for a new youth movement to protect the ocean!

You can look up events in your area and, if you don’t find one, create your own.

“A record number of aquariums, zoos, and museums are providing ways on World Oceans Day for their visitors to get inspired and take personal action to help our world’s ocean,” said Bill Mott, director of The Ocean Project. “World Oceans Day provides an opportunity for people across the country and around the world to celebrate our ocean connections, do more for ocean conservation, and learn more about our ocean!”

World Oceans Day coordinator, Alyssa Isakower, commented, “The worldwide response has been more enthusiastic than ever. June 8th provides a chance for the world to rally for a generation of ocean advocates who go beyond raising awareness and take real action for ocean protection.”

Under the theme, “Youth: the Next Wave for Change,” many events will focus on inspiring the younger generations.  Public opinion research by The Ocean Project supports this emphasis, finding that youth and young adults:

• Express more interest and concern about the health of the ocean, and the problems of pollution, overfishing and climate change
• Look to aquariums, zoos, and science centers for ways they can be part of the solution
• Have a higher belief in their own ability to make a difference
• Are recognized by their parents as better informed on ocean and environmental issues

[I would like to note, however, that the concept that youth "look to aquariums, zoos, and science centers for ways they can be part of the solution" is highly debatable. The notion that zoos and other places where animals are held captive are going to galvanize people to want to protect these animal populations in the wild is tenuous. Here is the argument against the idea of public education via zoos as presented by AnimalEthics.org:

Throngs of people visit zoos. So the potential is there to educate people about animals, their rights, welfare and conservation. Some zoos fix up information plaques or recorded talks next to exhibits, and a few of the big zoos supply videos and publications. However, even at the small number of zoos where good educational material is available, the public absorb little of it and most zoo-goers disregard it.

Zoo animals cannot possibly act genuinely in their enclosures and may even be psychotic (more below). Unnaturally housed or insane animals cannot be representative of their species. The zoo-going public learn only what cowed, mad or withdrawn animals are like and that it is normal and acceptable that humans should control animals.

As far as conservation efforts, check this out:

While conceding that zoos have become more proactive and benevolent in their efforts, critics still feel that "good zoos" are in the minority. Among the 2,400 animal enclosures licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 212 are under the strict regulatory umbrella of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. The other 2,188 are not.

David Hancocks, a former zoo director with 30 years' experience, estimates that less than 3 percent of the budgets of these 212 accredited zoos go toward conservation efforts. At the same time, they point to the billions of dollars spent every year on hi-tech exhibits and marketing efforts to lure visitors. Many zoos not affiliated with the AZA spend nothing on conservation.

So I will never condone zoos or aquariums, and I hope you won't either. But attending a beach or underwater reef clean-up? Picking up a Seafood Watch brochure so you can make wiser choices when buying seafood? Attending a festival focused on education and conservation? Going snorkeling while wearing sunscreen that won't kill corals and pollute the water? Checking out a lecture on environmental issues? YES. All wonderful options!]

On to the rest of the press release:

New and exciting happenings:

• Hundreds of events planned: Already over 250 events are listed from dozens of countries, with several hundred more expected.
• Dr. Seuss teams up with World Oceans Day: More than 100 institutions are planning Dr. Seuss-themed events!

People taking action around our blue planet:

• Youth in action in Arcata, CA: Friends of the Dunes celebrates their 8th straight WOD! 1,000 students will conduct a beach cleanup and invasive plant removal and then will create an aerial art design, with a plane capturing the image.
• Making a difference in the Marshall Islands: Youth groups, government, and non-government agencies will participate in beach and underwater dive cleanups, and more hands-on activities.

A team of scientists from various universities in Israel has been studying marine macroalgae, also known as common seaweed. The group has determined that these algae can be farmed more quickly than land-based crops used for bioethanol and harvested as fuel without taking up land that could be employed in more profitable or environmentally conscious ways.

In addition, although both seaweed biofuels and bioethanol from food crops are less environmentally destructive than burning fossil fuels, using seaweed to develop biofuels is much more environmentally beneficial than creating bioethanol from crops like corn and sugarcane, as applying such crops for this purpose instead of using them to feed people causes food prices to rocket and can lead to food shortages.

Avigdor Abelson, a professor of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Zoology and the new Renewable Energy Center, also believes that growing macroalgae for bioethanol production can take care of the problem of eutrophication along the country’s coasts.

Eutrophication is pollution in waterways caused by human waste, or sewage, and aquaculture or fish farming operations. The result is excessive amounts of nutrients including phosphates and nitrates as well as harmful algae, all elements that ultimately damage endangered coral reefs. Multiple coastal regions, such as the Red Sea in the south of Israel, have suffered from eutrophication.

The scientists created an artificial “ecosystem” which they call “Combined Aquaculture Multi-Use Systems” (CAMUS). It incorporates the effects of human activity and realistically mimics the marine environment.

According to the scientists, the excess nutrients that come from man-made fish feeders, which are considered contaminants due to their harmful effects on the marine ecosystem, could be utilised by filter feeders like oysters and other shellfish and thus turned into food by these animals to sustain the growth of more seaweed.

Moreover, the seaweed can be grown along the coast unobtrusively, Abelson said.

“By employing multiple species, CAMUS can turn waste into productive resources such as biofuel, at the same time reducing pollution’s impact on the local ecosystem,” he stated.

Another advantage is that seaweed could become a renewable energy source that does not jeopardize natural habitats, biodiversity or human food sources.

Now, the scientists are collaborating to boost the carbohydrate and sugar contents of seaweed so they can efficiently ferment it into bioethanol.

The team is confident that macroalgae will be a major source for biofuel in the future. Let’s hope so!

 

Japan has been facing widespread criticism since it said it will be using some of the public funds allocated for disaster reconstruction to buttress its whaling operations. Instead of going to help fishing communities and others devastated by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, a portion of the funds will go to strengthen security for the country’s divisive annual whaling hunt. Classy.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) and Greenpeace accused the Japanese Government of spending an extra USD 30 million on increased security for the whalers, whose efforts are regularly affronted by anti-whaling groups.

The awesome Paul Watson.

“I think that it’s totally disgraceful,” SSCS Captain Paul Watson stated. “People from around the world sending money to help the victims of the tsunami-earthquake were not expecting their money to be used to fund killing whales in the Southern Ocean.”

Before the Japanese fleet departed for Antarctica earlier this week, the coast guard informed it would be sending out guards to protect it from environmental activists, AFP reports.

Fisheries Agency official Tatsuya Nakaoku said the move would ultimately help people who depend on whaling and whose livelihoods were ruined by the tsunami.

“The government will support the reconstruction effort of a whaling town and nearby areas,” he said. “This programme can help it reconstruct food processing plants there…”

“Many people in the area eat whale meat, too. They are waiting for Japan’s commercial whaling to resume,” he retorted.

Last February, the defiant actions of Sea Shepherd prompted Japan to shorten its hunt for the 2010-11 season by a month — after catching only one-fifth of its planned bounty.

Japan intends to kill almost 1,000 whales this time around, The Guardian reports.

In November, the Japanese Government approved a USD 1.6 billion extra budget, the third of 2011, to fund reconstruction and boost the economy lagging from the impact of the March disaster. Of the USD 64.2 million designated for fisheries-related spending, USD 29.3 million were earmarked for “stabilising whaling research.”

“We will bolster measures against acts of sabotage by anti-whaling groups so as to stably carry out the Antarctic whaling research,” the fisheries department then said.

Sea Shepherd is ready to confront the Japanese fleet. Three of the green group’s ships will set sail next week, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“We are hoping to deter their operations,” Watson said. “I assume the security vessels will try and dislodge us. I am assuming there will be some difficult confrontations.”

SSCS asked Australia to send a vessel down to keep the peace, but the country refused, he told.

Japan also approached Australia – asking to help protect it from groups like Sea Shepherd – to no avail. Apparently Australia doesn’t buy that Japan whales for scientific purposes, which is what Japan has claimed for a long time.

Australia does not “buy for one minute this argument,” said Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke.

“You don’t travel from one side of the globe to the other to harpoon whales and chop them up in the name of science,” he snapped.

Excellent.

Meanwhile, the clamor got louder this week when Latin American members of the International Whaling Commission urged Japan to halt its “scientific” whaling in Antarctica and respect sanctuaries.

Save the whales!

Climate change will bring a combination of rising temperatures and increased predation that will result in biodiversity loss – and it may be worse than currently predicted, claims a study by University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologist Christopher Harley.

“Global warming is already having significant ecological impacts and it’s only going to get more dramatic,” Harley warned.

The study

Published in the current issue of the journal Science, the study examines how rocky shore barnacles and mussels react to the combined effects of warming and predation by sea stars.

Harley looked at the upper and lower temperature limits of barnacles and mussels from the cool west coast of Vancouver Island to the warm shores of the San Juan Islands, where water temperature rose from relatively cool in the 1950s to the much warmer years of 2009 and 2010.

He found that in cooler locations, mussels and rocky shore barnacles could live high on the shore and be shielded from their predators. But as temperatures rose, barnacles and mussels had to move to lower shore levels — and be exposed to predatory sea stars, whose location has not shifted.

“Sea stars are the terrors of the intertidal zone,” said Harley, Vancouver Sun reports. “As it gets hotter you would expect [species] to just move down to lower positions on the shore where they wouldn’t be out of the water for so long. But things aren’t shifting in unison.”

As daily high temperatures during the summer have jumped by almost 3.5 degrees Celsius in the last 60 years, barnacle and mussels have moved 50 cm lower on the shore. However, the effects of predators, and therefore the position of the lower limit, have thus far remained unchanged.

“That loss represents 51% of the mussel bed. Some mussels have even gone extinct locally at three of the sites I surveyed,” said Harley.

He then found that when stress from sea star predation was reduced by using exclusion cages, mussels and other species were able to live in hotter sites where they usually can’t — and their populations there more than doubled.

“A mussel bed is kind of like an apartment complex – it provides critical habitat for a lot of little plants and animals,” said Harley. “The mussels make the habitat cooler and wetter, providing an environment for crabs and other small crustaceans, snails, worms and seaweed.”

In contrast with many previous studies on how species ranges will change due to global warming, this analysis does not assume that species will simply relocate to remain in their current temperature range.

As animals or plants are unable to change their habitat ranges, Harley told, the findings show that warming and predation together could spawn more widespread extinction than scientists currently anticipate.

“Warming is not just having direct effects on individual species,” Harley added. “This study shows that climate change can also alter interactions between species, and produce unexpected changes in where species can live, their community structure, and their diversity.”

The effect on fishers

Relatedly, UBC researchers have also determined how climate change can impact the economic viability of current fisheries practices. Fish stocks are already yielding fewer fish due to overfishing and environmental factors such as pollution.

“Climate change is likely to cause more losses unless we choose to act,” said Rashid Sumaila, principal investigator of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC and lead author of the study.

A collaboration between economists, biologists and climate-change scientists, the study gives a broad outlook of the effect of climate change on fisheries and their profitability; it was published online in the journal Nature Climate Change. It received the support of the Pew Charitable Trusts, National Geographic, the World Bank and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

As waters warm, species move to cooler waters

Warming ocean temperatures have led many species to move farther towards the poles and into deeper and cooler waters. This means that while fishers in a few regions, such as Scandinavia in the far north, may benefit because they will now have more fish to catch, many others, and particularly fishers in the tropics, will lose an important food source along with their livelihoods. (Many fishers in tropical regions are poor and fish to feed themselves and their families.)

Researchers examined regional phenomena to help them find out what could happen on a global scale. For instance, lower catches of pelagic fish (such as sardines and anchovies) in Peru resulting from warmer waters during the 1997-1998 El Niño event caused more than USD 26 million in losses.

“For example, if you think about sardines on the Pacific Coast here: Whenever the temperatures are a bit higher, we see more sardines moving from Mexico through the US to Canada,” Sumaila noted, CBC News reports.

Fish survival is compromised

William Cheung, a biologist at the UBC Fisheries Center, said changes in temperature and ocean chemistry directly and adversely affect the physiology, growth, reproduction and distribution of marine life.

“Fish in warmer waters will probably have a smaller body size, be smaller at first maturity, with higher mortality rates and be caught in different areas,” he explained.

NOAA scientist and co-author Sam Herrick is calling for ongoing studies on how climate change and related factors will shape marine ecosystems and the productivity of fish populations.

Richer fish stocks = better adaptation to change

It was found that the bigger populations are, the better fish can adjust to environmental shifts such as warming temperatures. Minimizing the combined strains from overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution runoff, land-use transformation, competing aquatic resource uses and other anthropogenic factors will also contribute to helping stocks cope with climate change.

“We have to remember that the effect of climate change on the marine environment will occur alongside the impacts on land,” said Daniel Pauly, a UBC fisheries biologist and co-author.  “It will not be easy to divert resources from one sector to help another sector. This is why a strong governance system is needed – to temper the losses on the sectors that are worst hit.”

In other words, government officials need to step up and work harder to stop overfishing and illegal fishing, reduce runoff from agriculture and other polluting sources, and fight habitat destruction, among taking other measures.

Take a small step to make a difference

In the meantime, if you eat fish, something you can do is commit to purchasing only sustainably caught seafood. Read more about how to do this here:

• Greenpeace reveals canned tuna guide
• Fish eaters beware – your “sustainable” fish may not be

Related blog posts on Save Eco Destinations:

• Marine experts spell doom for world’s oceans, Pt. 2
• Marine experts spell doom for world’s oceans, Pt. 1

 

 

This is Part 2 of a two-part series of blog posts on the health dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and ways we can fight back against the corporations that produce them. Part 2 of the series discusses recent developments and some GMO trends, mentions promising anti-GMO phenomena, and lists some things you can do right now to oppose Monsanto and GMOs worldwide. Part 1 talks about the emergence and spread of superweeds, the litany of problems associated with GMOs, and some steps you can take to remove genetically modified (GM) foods from your diet. Both posts contain myriad links to resources so readers can learn more about various related topics.

Recent developments

In a baffling move, the U.S. Government has made a deal with the agricultural biotechnology industry to allow for the expansion of GM crops. Why the U.S. is echoing Argentina’s efforts (Argentina’s Government inked an agreement with farmers this year) is beyond me – although it probably has to do with crazy-strong lobbying efforts and a bribe here and there (just guessing). In addition, the U.S. continues to push Monsanto pesticides on Argentina despite the latter’s opposition. Some Argentines support it but it looks like most oppose it. Argentina is one of the world’s main soy producers, by the way.

More shockers:

• 95% of soybeans and 93% of corn grown in Minnesota this year are GM.
• More than 80% of soy grown and nearly two-thirds of the world’s cotton worldwide is GM.
• 94% of soybeans and more than 70% of corn and cotton planted in the U.S. contain the Roundup-resistant gene.

Documentaries on Monsanto and the dangers of GMOs

If you’re interested, here are two documentaries on Monsanto that I fully recommend:

• The World According to Monsanto
• Controlling Our Food

Watch ‘em and let me know what you think! I found them both fascinating and utterly terrifying, but ignorance is definitely not bliss when your food is toxic and you’re the one who will lose when your health falters. Thus, I’d rather know and take preventative steps, even if it’s inconvenient and potentially troublesome, than tell myself that everything I eat is innocuous. What about you?

Exciting anti-GMO developments

Fortunately, it’s not all bad. Hungary is kicking butt by driving Monsanto’s GM crops out and criminalizing the dissemination of GMO seeds. The country has destroyed all of Monsanto’s corn fields in its territory! Fantastic and tremendously inspirational. The U.S. (and all other countries, of course) should follow suit. Let’s do all we can to make this happen!

Take Action

• Join the campaign Millions Against Monsanto and sign its petition
• Promote sustainable agriculture through Greenpeace’s action campaign
• Join this group to learn about organic and self-sustaining gardening practices so you can take direct action to look after your health
• Check out the Organic Consumers Association and support its efforts
• Sign in support of Greenpeace’s call for Australia to stop unsafe GM wheat trials
• Sign a petition against GMOs in Poland
• Join the Facebook page Say No To GMO Foods
• Join the Facebook page Environmental Labels: Your Right to Know
• Do your own research
• Spread the word by linking to this blog post and any others you find informative

Want to add something? Did I miss anything important? All contributions are welcome, including guest posts!

(This is part two of a two-part series on a report regarding the dismal state of our oceans. Part 1 of the series discusses the report’s findings and the primary ocean stressors currently involved.)

Entire marine ecosystems could disappear within a generation — a phenomenon that would take a devastating toll on humans, not just marine animals, according to the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) report discussed in part one of this series.

You might be surprised to hear that shellfish and other marine animals comprise 15 per cent of animal protein for 3 billion people throughout the world, and another 1 billion people rely on fish stocks for their main source of protein. It’s important to remember that we need to preserve marine ecosystems, not only because they’re pretty to look at and something to explore when we’re taking a decadent beach vacation, but also because much of humanity’s food security is at stake here.

In fact, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) last December released a report called “Environmental Consequences of Ocean Acidification: A Threat to Food Security,” noting that burgeoning greenhouse gas emissions may have more widespread and complex effects on ocean health than previously anticipated, and that the chemistry of the globe’s oceans is being altered at a rate unseen for 65 million years.

The report confirms worries that corals, shellfish and other organisms may have an increasingly difficult time surviving due to weakening skeletons, and demonstrates that ocean acidification combined with ocean warming would lower the range of temperatures in which crabs and other animals can thrive.

This could powerfully affect, among other factors, catches of shellfish; species reliant on coral reefs and those such as salmon that feed on shell-building organisms lower down the food chain. – FIS

What’s more, climate change is predicted to cause big dents in coastal fisheries resources in the Pacific Islands region, potentially slashing production by as much as 50 per cent by 2100, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Heads of Fisheries communicated in March. It is forecasted that higher sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and loss of important habitats like coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves will dramatically affect the inshore resources that provide myriad coastal communities in New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and other impoverished countries with food and a livelihood. And let’s not forget that people who live off fisheries in various ways populate most countries on Earth, from the United States and Malta to Argentina and Pakistan.

Some 55 million years ago, 2.2 gigatonnes of CO2 were released annually for thousands of years and numerous species died out. Today, it is estimated that 2.2. gigatonnes of CO2 are shot into the atmosphere every year by deforestation alone.

“The rate of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere and the rate of change in the oceans is extraordinary — there is a very urgent need to get that under control,” stressed Alex Rogers, a professor of conservation biology at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study.

And now, the most important part of this series:

What YOU can do

To address the findings, the IPSO report gives several recommendations, such as the creation of “a global body empowered to ensure compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” and steps to improve the fish stock sustainability.

Rogers suggested that anything from choosing the right kind of fish to eat to lobbying politicians helps.

I suggest that fish eaters scan Greenpeace’s canned tuna guide to make sure they are choosing sustainably caught tuna whose harvesting is not wiping out turtles, dolphins, or other species. Also, California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium has a seafood guide that’s really nifty (available as pocket or mobile, too) and the website is rich with information on related issues. Check out their recommendations!

Support green organizations like Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Greenpeace, who work to both spread awareness about vital issues and fight the “bad guys” (in this case, Sea Shepherd – very courageously – goes after poachers hands-on, while Greenpeace targets harvesters of destructively caught fish and the companies that sell them, fights companies that pollute egregiously, and so on).

Attend clean-up days at your local beach or park. Go to Hands Across the Sand each year. Consider volunteering and donating whatever resources you have to anyone working toward a worthy cause.

Whenever a petition appears that could help ocean health, sign it. Visit sites like Care2 and Change.org and sign up for their newsletters to stay informed on new developments, learn how to help, and to find likeminded friends.

Together, we will make a difference.

“If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” – Mother Theresa

(This is part one of a two-part series on a report regarding the dismal state of our oceans. Part two of the series tackles the situation’s repercussions on humans and what we can do to help our oceans recover.)

A team of marine experts announced this week a new summary report arguing that climate change and other man-made factors will spur colossal levels of extinction in the world’s oceans. The catastrophe is forecasted to be “unprecedented in human history.”

The proverbial excrement, it seems, is about to hit the fan.

Not surprisingly, it appears that changes in our atmosphere, ecosystems, and habitats across the planet are accelerating too quickly for many species to adapt and be able to survive.

“The speed of change, particularly related to climate change, is so great there simply isn’t time for marine life to adapt to these new conditions,” said Alex Rogers, a professor of conservation biology at the University of Oxford.

He explained that mass extinctions have been tied to considerable changes in the oceans’ carbon systems in the past.

“That’s what we’re bringing about through our own actions today,” he noted, reports ABC News.

Rogers and a team of 26 other researchers from various countries met earlier this year for a three-day workshop in England to study ocean stressors. Their full report is set to be published in the near future.

Ocean stressors at play

Ocean acidification is one key factor. Here’s what it’s about: carbon dioxide (CO2) (along with methane and other gasses) plays a huge role in heating up our planet and thereby causing climate change, which includes melting polar ice caps and rising ocean levels. Okay. What you might not know is that one-third of the planet’s CO2 is absorbed by the ocean, and that the more CO2 the ocean absorbs, the greater the waters’ acidity. This phenomenon is called ocean acidification and it’s noxious to our planet for many reasons. For example, rising acidity levels in our oceans have been found to:

• Impair fish hearing and smell, putting their survival in danger
• Kill off endangered species such as northern abalone
• Threaten the survival of krill, itself the basic food source of nearly all animals in the ocean

Apart from ocean acidification, rising water temperatures, overfishing, pollution, and even tourism are all exacerbating the rapid decline of species such as reef-forming coral. (Go here, here, and here for more on the state of coral reefs.)

Sharks and other species may be next, warned Rogers, lead author of the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) report.

Further, he said that, in many cases, the impacts of ocean stressors were found to have a greater overall effect than any single effect when taken together. For example, the decline of coral reef ecosystems due to overfishing and reef bleaching, plus the acidification that causes bleaching, will eradicate “the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet.”

Chilling.

“As we considered the cumulative effect of what humankind does to the ocean, the implications became far worse than we had individually realized,” Rogers said. “This is a very serious situation demanding unequivocal action at every level.”

Stay tuned for part two of this 2-part series.