Hello
I'm Johora Singaporensis
a Singapore Freshwater Crab
but you can call me Jo
I'm so small, I doubt you've seen me
but I bet you've seen my Big Blue Buddy - the ocean
In this video,
I want to talk about the ocean
and why it's important
The ocean is made up of
different marine ecosystems
the coasts
deep seas
and high seas
But even though humans
have been mapping the world
for thousands of years
more than 80% of the ocean
is still unmapped
unobserved
and unexplored
Scientists know more
planets and deep space
than the deep blue
What we do know
is that the ocean
is essential
for all life on Earth
from
freshwater crabs like me
to humans like you!
The big blue ocean
is everybody's
Big Blue Buddy
Our buddy helps us breathe
by producing more than
half the world's oxygen
And even though
it's saltwater
and not freshwater
it gives us all
our drinking water
through the water cycle
Our buddy helps fight
climate change
by absorbing and storing
50 times more
carbon dioxide
than our atmosphere
It regulates the climate
and weather patterns
by transporting heat
from the equator
to the poles
It can help us
when we're sick
by producing natural
medicinal ingredients
to help fight serious diseases
It provides jobs
for millions of people
On our days-off
our Buddy even entertains us
with activities
like snorkelling
kayaking
and wake boarding
What's more
our Buddy feeds us!
180 million kilograms
of seafood
the stuff Singaporeans
really love
EVERY
SINGLE
DAY
Many of our
Blue Buddy's benefits
rely on one of the most
important living things in the ocean
Plankton
I'm tiny
but next to plankton
I'm a giant!
They're smaller than
the diameter of a human hair
but plankton have a
huge impact
on the survival
of all species on the planet
There are two
main types of plankton
zooplankton
and phytoplankton
As yo've probably guessed
zooplankton means
they're "animal-like"
Phytoplankton are
"plant-like"
and the primary producer
in the marine food chain
They use the sun's energy
to convert
carbon dioxide into
carbohydrates
to feed ocean life
Every creature in the ocean
either eats phytoplankton
or eats the organisms
which depend on it
Like all friendships
this very special relationship
with our Big Blue Buddy
should work both ways
We need to be
the oceans's Buddy too
but so far
that isn't happening
Our Buddy's
getting a bad deal
Since 1950
plankton numbers in the ocean
have plummeted
by a massive 40%
Every day
70 million kilograms of seafood
is wasted
or thrown away
1 in 3 fish caught
never make it to our plates
and 8 million pieces of plastic
are dumped into the ocean
If we're going to be
a true Buddy to the ocean
we need to take action now
The world is calling
for 30% of the ocean
to be protected and conserved by 2030
We can help by
treating our Buddy
with respect
Consume only what
we really need
stop literring
and refuse single-use plastics
We can make an effort
to better understand
our Blue Buddy
and marine ecosystems
by learning from experts
visiting museums
and joining guided walks
or volunteering with
conservation groups
We must look after
our Big Blue Buddy
so that Buddy
can look after us
and future generations too
It's a win-win relationship
for the world!