Here is the impact that will happen if we all manage to raise $30 million dollars and
remove 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean, but first let’s see why we are doing
this.
Explorer Victor Vescovo was a terrifying 35,853 feet (10,928 meters) underwater.
A new record for manned descents into the Marianas Trench.
While he was investigating the deepest ocean trench on Earth, Vescovo identified three
new species of deep-sea life including a shrimp-like crustacean, and he also discovered something
else.
Something incredible.
What he found was… a plastic bag.
That’s right, nearly 7 miles down at the bottom of one of the world’s most remote
habitats, a place where no human had gone before, was contaminated with our garbage.
Humanity has treated the ocean badly.
For years, we’ve had an out of sight out of mind mentality.
If we didn’t see it, it’s not there.
But we’ve dumped so much trash in the sea, currents have formed debris into 5 giant garbage
patches.
The largest — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 1.6 million square kilometers, an
area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France, and it’s estimated to
contain 80,000 tonnes of plastic, which weighs as much as 500 Jumbo Jets.
And all this trash is a big, big problem.
Plastic and other trash can cloud the water, altering light levels and reducing oxygen,
therefore affecting the ability to support aquatic life.
100,000 marine animals die each year from getting entangled in plastic, and those are
just the ones we find and can count, while millions more mistake microplastic for food
and eat it causing them to choke or starve when their digestive systems get blocked with
plastic.
And then when bigger animals eat the smaller ones, chemicals from the plastic the little
ones had consumed accumulate in their tissues.
Bigger animals that include… that’s right, us.
When humans eat seafood, those same chemicals can end up in our bodies too.
In 2015, National Geographic reported that there’s an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces
of plastic debris in the ocean.
About 269,000 tons float on the surface, while some four billion plastic microfibers per
square kilometer drift in the depths.
These microplastic fibers occur when larger pieces of plastic are broken down by sun exposure
and wave action.
To make matters worse, as the plastic continues to degrade it releases chemicals that further
contaminate the ocean.
Most plastics will take a long, long time to completely break down.
Hundreds of years in fact.
That’s year after year of plastics slowly poisoning marine life.
Thankfully, many groups have been working on cleaning the ocean including #TeamSeas.
Their current campaign is to remove 30 Million pounds of plastic and trash from our ocean,
rivers and beaches.
The removal of this trash has both immediate and long-term wide-ranging positive effects
on the ocean’s ecosystem.
It means fewer seals and dolphins end up tangled in discarded fishing nets.
Less plastic bags in the water means fewer sea turtles mistake them for delicious jellyfish.
It stops the breakdown and hazardous slow leak of chemicals from that plastic into the
water.
Cleaner water means healthier phytoplankton, which is the foundation for the marine food
chain.
It’s a little hard to wrap your mind around how much 30 million pounds is, but let’s
try.
The largest animal on earth, an adult blue whale can weigh about 330,000 lbs (149,685
kg).
So 3 blue whales weigh roughly a million pounds.
That means the amount of plastic waste that #Team Seas is going to remove from the ocean
is the equivalent of 90 full-grown, adult blue whales.
If you’re feeling cynical and don’t think that 30 Million pounds is enough, don’t
worry.
This is just the beginning and an ambitious plan is underway to achieve a 90% reduction
of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
Here are 5 reasons why humanity must take care of the ocean.
Fresh oxygen.
The ocean covers about 70% of the earth’s surface, contains 97% of the earth’s water,
and produces over half of the world's oxygen.
Microscopic phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the atmosphere
through photosynthesis.
The ocean absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere.
Temperature and weather balancing.
The ocean helps to regulate the earth’s climate.
Not only does it soak up the majority of the sun’s rays, but currents spread out the
heat.
Warm water is transported from the equator to the poles, and cold water from the poles
to the tropics.
Without these currents, many regions would be inhabitable or experience extreme weather.
The ocean absorption of carbon dioxide also helps to keep our global climate in check.
The ocean plays a key role in the water cycle, thereby creating weather.
The sun shines, the warm currents heat the ocean, water evaporates forming clouds, increasing
air temperature and humidity.
The clouds then get blown back over the land, it rains, the water nourishes the planet and
then makes its way back to the ocean.
If it wasn’t for the ocean and the water cycle process, the earth would be a desert.
Home to marine life.
The ocean is the biggest habitat on the planet.
There are about 18,000 known species of fish.
There are some 240,000 known marine species.
Scientists estimated that there are another 500,000-2 million marine organisms yet to
be discovered.
It’s an important source of food.
The ocean is the number one source of protein for more than a billion people.
Fish accounts for about 15.7% of the animal protein consumed globally.
Humans also use algae and sea plants for sushi and other dishes.
In recent years seaweed has become a trendy health food snack.
The ocean has therapeutic properties.
Anti-viral drugs Zovirax and Acyclovir were isolated from nucleosides in Caribbean sponges.
Molluscs and other species have been found to have cancer-fighting agents.
Researchers are marine prospecting for aquatic biotechnology around volcanic vents on the
seabed in the hopes of developing materials resistant to heat and toxins.
We have barely scratched the surface of the medicinal and biotechnologies the ocean may
have to offer us.
Being near the ocean itself can be therapeutic.
Various studies have shown improved mental and physical health in those who spend time
near the coast.
The scenery is restful.
The sound of the waves is relaxing and promotes a meditative state.
There are a variety of ways you can care for the ocean.
Here are just 7 of them:
Educate yourself.
The facts in this video is just the tip of the iceberg.
Learn about the various issues affecting our oceans and how your particular community plays
into them.
Support local efforts and public officials who pursue good ocean policy.
Don’t litter.
Storm drains flow into local waterways which ultimately flow into the ocean.
When it rains, trash-clogged storm drains can back up and make streets flood.
Also, lots of junk is pushed into the water system and into the ocean.
Reduce Pollutants.
Choose nontoxic chemicals and dispose of pesticides, motor oil, and cleaning products properly.
Never simply dump hazardous materials down a drain, this pollutes your local water system.
Reduce waste.
Shop wisely.
Be mindful of what you purchase, because one day it will be trash.
Support companies that practice green manufacturing and limit wasteful packaging.
Opt not to use single-use plastics such as plastic cutlery, plastic bags, and balloons.
Invest in environmentally friendly items such as cloth shopping bags and reusable water
bottles.
Volunteer!
Participate in cleanups at the beach and local watersheds in your community.
If your community doesn’t have a cleanup day or program, consider starting one.
Tell a friend.
Share your knowledge with friends and encourage them to join you in donating to clean the
ocean, volunteering, and reducing waste.
And of course, donate to the #TeamSeas campaign to clean the ocean.
All donations to #TeamSeas will be split equally between 2 nonprofit charities: Ocean Conservancy
and The Ocean Cleanup.
The ocean is the heart of the earth and vital not only to our survival but the survival
of every living creature.
So, be a part of this incredible fundraiser and head over to Teamseas.org and make a donation
today!
Every dollar donated will remove 1 pound of plastic.
Together, we can have a huge impact!