Report on the Health of the World's Oceans (1)
© J & D Informatics Inc.
Approximately seventy-one percent of the earth is covered in seawater, which makes our ocean environment the largest, and least explored ecosystem on the planet. It has even been suggested that our exploration into the oceans is so limited that we know more about the surface of the moon, than the ocean depths (4).
We are dependent on our oceans in ways we might not even realize. When considering the benefits the oceans supply, the first thought that leaps to mind is food taken from the oceans. From fish, to shellfish, crustaceans, and more, the oceans provide us with a large proportion of the meats consumed around the world. Not so obvious, but perhaps more essential, the oceans produce a full seventy percent of the oxygen in our atmosphere, regulate our climate, and absorb excess carbon dioxide (1). Human health may even be directly tied to the infamous ocean current El Nino (2), and other ocean conditions (1). The economic value of the oceans cannot be ignored. One hundred and eighty million jobs were connected to ocean fisheries in 1998 (5), and the value of fossil fuels located beneath ocean floors may be an important factor in the economies of many nations.
It was stated in 1884 by Thomas Henry Huxley "The cod fishery, the herring fishery, the pilchard fishery, the mackerel fishery, and probably all the great sea fisheries, are inexhaustible "(4). Those words have come back to haunt us. Those "inexhaustible" fisheries are being rapidly depleted and we're faced with the problem of just what to do. Sea creatures, birds, and even land animals and humans are all affected by the condition and health of the oceans. To learn that the health of the ocean may be in jeopardy should prompt us to learn more, and spring us to action! What could possibly be threatening this vast, and vitally important resource?
Overfishing
The first major problem could be easily summed up as overfishing, or fishing beyond the ocean's capacity. Factors that contribute to overfishing are the lack of understanding of the ocean ecosystem, and a lack of a consensus on following a management plan among countries, or even among states and provinces within a country. A direct side effect of over-fishing is what is known as "bycatch". Bycatch is catching fish, mammals, and other animals that are not the target of the fishermen.
Enhancing the problem of overextending fisheries beyond what can be sustained are technological advances. Fishing has become more efficient as technology increases. Fish catches continually increased throughout the twentieth century until the 1970s and 1980s when throughout the world catches peaked, and began to decline (6). The one exception to this trend is in the Indian Ocean where fishing technology continues to develop (6). The reason for the decline throughout most of the world, even though fishing methods and technology continue to advance is simple. We are removing fish at a rate greater than they can reproduce, and replenish the supply.
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