7 Reasons to Save 70%

Heya, and welcome to Earthy Diaries! Naomi here, and today we’re going to talk about the thing that covers 70% of our world – the ocean. We often overlook this vital resource, but from exploration to climate solutions, it does so much more than we recognize. So, uh, are you waiting for me to stop intro-ing and start the post? Ok, ok, here goes!

#1: It’s Why We Can Breathe

50-80% of our oxygen comes from the ocean. That’s about double the amount that rainforests produce (about a third of our oxygen comes from rainforests). Crazy, right? This oxygen mostly comes from these little sea creatures called plankton, which, when performing photosynthesis, create this precious oxygen as a byproduct – just like trees.

#2: Jobs

Okay, so it’s kind of obvious that people like fishermen and marine biologists make a living off the ocean, but think about the countless other things the ocean does. People who are transporting goods, working in seafood restaurants, and doing countless other things all depend on the ocean for their jobs.

#3: It’s Why We Get Products From All Over The World

What do bananas, cars, electronics, clothes, toys, and so many other products have in common? Almost all of them are shipped overseas. According to the NOAA, 76% of US trade involves overseas transportation in some way. That’s a lot of US trade. Without shipping overseas, those products wouldn’t be here. Or at least, there wouldn’t be as many of them and they would most likely be a bit more expensive.

#4: It’s A Mystery

Also according to the NOAA, only 20% of our ocean has been explored. What exactly does that mean? Well, that means that 20% of the seafloor has been explored – not that we have seen 20% of the ocean creatures or that we have been in 20% of the ocean’s water. The ocean is always changing, and some say that we actually know more about outer space than we do about our ocean. There’s so much to explore!

#5: Fish, Sharks, Dolphins, Crabs, and More…

Scientists estimate that we have yet to discover about 90% of the ocean animals, and we’ve already discovered around 24,000, so that’s saying something. This means that there are way more livelihoods depending on the ocean than just our own.

#6: It’s Beautiful

Need I say more? We love going to the beach, scuba-diving, going boating, visiting aquariums (the creatures are from the ocean, k?), and so much more. If we hurt our ocean, we don’t get to experience any of those things!

#7: It’s Not Invincible

Yes, the ocean is big. It covers 70% of our earth. And yes, it may SEEM okay when you look at it from the beach. But it’s not. It’s vulnerable. A little change in our water temperature causes coral to be bleached and huge coral reef ecosystems to die. Plastic chokes animals every day, and patches of microplastic might never go away. We have to act. We have to do something.

7 Ways to Save The Ocean

• Buy ocean-friendly fish that are marked with the MSC or ASC labels.
• Help stop climate change by walking/riding your bike more, saving energy, writing emails, and attending marches. Climate change causes coral bleaching, so less climate change means less harm done!
• Use less plastic – this can help stop climate change and means you’ll be contributing less to ocean pollution!
• Learn more, because the more you know, the more you can do.
• Advocate for better laws and more sustainable options.
• Be kind to the beach by wearing ocean-friendly sunblock, being kind to ocean creatures, and picking up trash you see.
• Donate to/support the places that are supporting the ocean.

And that’s that! Thank you so much for reading and I’ll sea you later (I’m sorry, I just had to do that…)!