Ocean Ecology

The ocean takes up 2/3 of the Earth's surface. It is the largest ecosystem we have yet encountered. The ocean has an eclectic amount of species, but we have only discovered 5% of what is underneath. We should not get mixed up with the freshwater ecosystem. In fact, the ocean ecosystem is the exact opposite of it.

Even with our advanced technology, we have only discovered 5% of the species. It is a shame because we live on this planet, and we don't even fully understand it. We know more about space than our own planet. We have discovered 200,000 species of animal, 7,600 species of plants, and more than 1,000 species of fungi. The estimated number of species is roughly 1 million. The ocean plays a vital role in human economy. 

Based on the U.S Commercial and Recreational Fishing Industries in 2012, 1.7 millions jobs are supported, generating 5.1 billion dollars. The ocean is mostly a boon to human society, but we mostly bring destruction. The human impacts on society are: pollution, fisheries, eutrophication, ocean acidification, climate change, and introduced species. The results of these human impacts are virulent, and they will contribute to our extinction. 39% of marine wildlife is gone, there are about 500 dead zones (where marine wildlife cannot inhabit,) 30-35% of global critical marine like seagrasses, coral reefs, are destroyed.

                               

One of the most notorious incidents was the BP oil spill in 2010 at the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig sunk and the oil flooded the sea. The oil leaked for 87 days, flooding the ocean for 176,100 km^2. It was a terrible blow to the ocean ecosystem. Many species have died. It even made animals that hunt for fish suffer.

We have to save the Earth that we live on, and part of it is the sea. It is vital to our survival, so we must have solutions to reduce the damage that we have caused or may cause in the future. Strict government regulation when it comes to fishing, reduce waste and sewage from industries, using renewable energy, and restore the ecosystem. We need each other to coexist, and the only way to do so is that we have to retain our habitat as best as possible.