Since the beginning, humans have depended on the ocean to survive. The ocean has helped us and hurt us, but we have done the same right back. Many believe the ocean is a source and way of life. Others believe it is just a huge, blue water mass that lines our coasts. There are many different perspectives on how we depend on the ocean and whether or not we realize it, we are all connected with it.
There are many ways in which we rely on the ocean. These different ways vary from transportation to food. As a population, we have used transportation since long before any of us can remember. It is how we discovered America, how we traded with other nations, and how we communicated with each other from across the globe.
Not only do we rely on it for transportation, but the ocean is how we get seafood into our stores. For some, the ocean is their main food source. The ocean also gives us many answers about what is happening or going to happen in our world and we discover these answers through research. These answers include how our fisheries will look in a certain amount of years or how coral has survived long exposure to sunlight. Many organizations and individuals are researching our oceanic regions and we are included in that.
There are countless issues facing our oceans today. These issues include overfishing, pollution, invasive species, coral bleaching, and so on. The issues listed are damaging our oceans and marine life.We have seen decline in populations of not only the creatures swimming, but the other life forms like coral, anemones, etc.
One issue that I find interesting is invasive species. These species can be brought into certain areas purposefully or migrate there naturally. When they enter these aquatic regions or even on land, they can take over the habitats in the blink of an eye. After the habitat is taken over, the native plant and/or animal species can go extinct or close to it. Alien species can disturb residents nearby.
An example would be the lion-fish that are invading Florida’s coasts. Measures that can be taken include: containment, eradication, and biological control. However even if we take these measures, there’s no definite way to control this issue because of natural migration patterns. There are organizations like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Invasive Species Council that are trying to help resolve issues like the lion-fish. We are continuing to work to find a permanent solution to this issue as the days continue.
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