In my opinion, a lot of these issues that contribute to this deterioration can track back to a lack of awareness. The environmental state of the ocean is still a very poorly understood and rarely considered issue for most people.

The International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) states that there are five main issues we should be focusing on when it comes to the environmental state of our oceans:

1. 1. Habitat Destruction
2. 2. Overfishing and Extraction
3. 3. Pollution
4. 4. Introduced Species
5. 5. Climate Change

Let’s dive into each of these to get our head around them…

Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is the physical destruction of ecosystems, which are the systems of life that all living things depend on to survive. In the oceans, an example of this would be coral reefs. Human activities such as bottom trawling are literally wiping out entire ocean ecosystems by dragging nets across the ocean floor and clearing out everything in its pathway. This is seriously impacting marine life and altering critical ecosystem services for humankind, such as protection from tsunamis.

Overfishing and Extraction

Overfishing is the act of fishing specific stocks of fish below an acceptable level with respect to the overall natural supply. Fishing of single species such as the Atlantic Cod has been happening for decades now, which is finally leading us to tipping points for certain species of fish. The World Wildlife Fund reported last year that unless catches are dramatically reduced, the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna will be wiped out in the next three years.

Unfortunately, stopping overfishing activities is not so simple. While looking at this single issue it is clear to see that fishing needs to be cut back in order to give these select species time to spawn and bring their stocks up to a more stable state, but these fish provide a multi-faceted service to many humans. Fish not only provide vital sources of protein but also an essential source of income, especially in the developing world ($92BN/Annum). So as easy as it is for us to say we need to cut back on the fishing, we also need to fill the role it has in the economy for these growing countries.

In addition to overfishing, another issue in this realm that we have become much more familiar with as of late is oil and gas extraction from offshore drilling sites. Even when oil extraction projects do go to plan there are still some releases of oil and other contaminants to the ocean environment and this of course becomes much more severe when spills occur like the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The release of these contaminants along with sediments coming from the drilling process (such as lubricants from the drills) have been associated with species loss in seabed communities as well as disturbances to marine ecosystems through drilling acoustics.

Pollution

Every day billions of litres of pollution are released into Australia’s oceans and estuaries.  The worst type of pollution, reported by the IPSO, is nutrient enriched pollution, which mainly comes from fertilizers via the agriculture industry. This nutrient enriched pollution causes a high impact process called eutrophication, which causes a tremendous growth in algae to the point where the oxygen in the water is consumed and in turn the surrounding sea life that depends on this oxygen dies off. This process has been taking place on such a massive scale that areas of the sea are now recognised as dead zones, where marine life can no longer be supported due to such highly depleted oxygen levels.

Now with the eutrophication being covered as well as oil extraction in the previous topic, I must go ahead and jump into the famous Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This garbage patch, located in the centre of the North Pacific Ocean- covering an area the size of Texas, is a formation of litter that has set adrift to sea and compiled together an incredible amount of plastics and chemical sludge via the currents of the North Pacific Gyre leading to a tasty pollution stew that we have yet to find a way of dealing with- here’s one of the more interesting ideas: Recycled Island.

Introduced Species

Australian’s more than most are aware of the effects an introduced species has on an environment. Just as the European Rabbit and Cane Toad threw things off in Australia, countless other species are being introduced to ocean environment through human inception, which has led to havoc on sensitive marine ecosystems. This act of introducing foreign marine species has been carried out accidentally as well as deliberately by humans to cause the natural balance of a marine ecosystem to become completely thrown off, leading to overgrowth of some native species, loss of others as well as an introduction of exotic diseases.

Climate Change

And last but certainly not least, we are faced with climate change; an environmental issue that can fall under a contributor to all of the issues listed about as well as many more. Climate change is the distribution of weather over time. Recently, this has been occurring much faster than normal and scientists believe that the reason for this is due to a human-induced global warming, which is an increase in the global temperature. All of this is to be caused by an increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere (mainly due to burning of fossil fuels and deforestation), which causes sunlight (solar radiation) to stay trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, leading to a slow increase in the earth’s temperature. Feel free to read/watch the thousands of books, science journals, films, and lectures on this for a more detailed understanding.

So what’s so bad about getting a bit of warmer weather? Well, a lot when it’s being done on a global scale. With respect to the ocean environment, it’s really a chain reaction; polar ice caps melt, leading to a change in weather patterns, rising sea levels, which lead to destruction of marine ecosystems- especially the coral reefs. Now this isn’t just going to be a moment where we can just think, “aw shucks, no more coral reefs.” This is all part of a global tipping point where one system crashes after another to truly affect life as we know it.

Finally! The Positive and Uplifting Part…

So there you go, a little snapshot of the mess we’re in at the moment. Now a lot of people see this and think: this must be one of the worst generations to be in, we’re at a point in time where decades of global impacts are finally catching up with us and now the entire planet earth is under threat, but that’s the half empty glass. Instead, think about this: we are at a moment in time where we can step up and make some of the greatest changes a single generation has ever been able to achieve on a global scale. All we need to do is step up and take some action!

Bringing it back to you on this little stick, I find surfing to be a perfect example of how we must live life with nature to make things work. You respect the waters and work with the force of the waves rather than against them, because you accept the fact that in no way would it be possible to oppose such a great force that you completely depend on in order to achieve your ride. That’s what the sustainability movement is trying to seek, that perfect balance between achieving what we need to live, without compromising the provider of it.

The sustainability movement, a movement dedicated to restoring the environment and social justice, is the single largest movement that has ever occurred on the planet earth (2), and it is happening right now. Each of these issues above, as well as thousands of others, has passionate and dedicated people around the world behind them.  So please don’t just get mad, depressed or worst of all indifferent, but instead get up and take some action.

In no way do I mean this to be antagonizing, I myself have a long way to go in taking full action in this movement. Instead, I feel that it’s worth letting you know that this is all happening and if you want to be a part of it then go for it! Below is a list of just a few of the leading organisations in Australia taking part that you can all get involved in and contribute to.

The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble. - Blaise Pascal

Surfrider Foundation Australia: Dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of Australia’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people through Conservation, Advocacy, Research and Education.

Clean Up Australia: Clean Up Australia works with communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment.

Get Up!: GetUp is an independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues.

350.org: 350.org is an international campaign that's building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that science and justice demand.

Coastcare: Coastcare is community volunteers caring for their coast. Coastcare volunteers identify local environmental problems and work together to achieve practical solutions.

References:

1. 1. 2010, Implementing the Global State of the Oceans Report, The International Programme on the State of the Oceans (IPSO), viewed 8 September 2010, http://stateoftheocean.org/.
2. 2. 2006, Bluefin Tuna Nearing Extinction, Conservation Group Says, National Geographic News, viewed 8 September 2010,http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060724-bluefin-tuna.html.
3. Pollution, Coastcare, viewed 8 September 2010, http://www.coastcare.com.au/Page/About+Coastcare/Issues/Water+Pollution.aspx