From Human Life to Sea Life

This past week, an analysis took place of hundreds of locations that concluded humans are right on the edge of committing major damage to the oceans and the animals living in them. Dr. Douglas J. McCauley, an ecologist at the university of Santa Barbra, claims, “We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event”.

Even though the results of this analysis are frightening, Dr. McCauley says there is still hope for sea life. During the studies, the analysts found that the oceans are still mostly intact and still wild enough to be able to be brought back to health with some help. These scientific assessments are still uncertain because it is extremely challenging for researchers to judge the well-being of a species underwater.

During this specific analysis, McCauley and his researchers found a clearer picture of the oceans’ health by pulling together data from a larger range of sources: from fossils to statistics of modern day sea life. Multiple experts say that the result of this analysis is not only remarkable but hopeful.

There are many signs that humans are harming the oceans to a remarkable degree. Some species are over-harvested but even more species are damaged from the scale habitat loss, which is bound to get worse as technology advances. For example, coral reefs have declined by 40 percent worldwide due to climate change.

Another factor that is hurting the oceans are mining operations. Some contracts for seabed mining encompasses up to 460,000 square miles underwater. Seabed mining holds the potential to tear up ecosystems and pollute the sea.

“If by the end of the century we’re not off the business-as-usual curve we are now, I honestly feel there’s not much hope for normal ecosystems in the ocean” states Dr. Palumbi. “But in the meantime, we do have a chance to do what we can. We have a couple decades more than we thought we had, so let’s please not waste it.”