Author: savila4

Save the Whales

savila4

Written by Sofia Avila, Edited by Skylar Griffin 

 

Whale basics:

You’ve probably heard of blue whales, sperm whales, orcas etc, but did you know that whales are divided into two distinct categories. These categories are toothed and untoothed whales. Toothed whales are hunters, able to consume squid, seals and fish. Untoothed whales, also called baleen whales, strain their food through fringed plates that are useful for eating smaller food, such as krill. With the exception of orcas, whales are also very social creatures that travel in family units, and have the ability to self recognize, which is a sign of high intelligence. All in all, whales are extremely interesting animals that are loving and sweet tempered. If this is the case, why are there organizations calling for their protection?

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/whales-us

 

Are whales threatened?

According to Save the Whales, an organization aimed at protecting oceans and all their inhabitants, whales face dangers that were outlawed years ago. Whaling, a practice where whales are hunted for their blubber, oil and meat, was banned in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) when several species came close to becoming extinct. However, countries like Iceland, Norway and Japan are notorious for continuing their whaling practices, directly violating the IWC law. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, approximately 1,500 whales are killed each year at Japan, Iceland and Norway’s hands alone. In addition to being hunted, whales face threats of habitat loss due to ocean pollution, loss of food sources, climate change, plastic ingestion and net entanglement. Whaling is not the only threat these creatures deal with. 

 

Why are whales important to the oceans?

Whales are an essential part of the ocean ecosystem. One of their main jobs in the ocean is to regulate the food chain, which keeps certain creatures from overpopulating the ocean. For example, a blue whale can consume about 40 million krill each DAY, which just goes to show that without whales, there would be a disruption to the ocean’s food chain. Another reason why whales are important to the oceans is through something a little weirder…their poop actually helps pull carbon dioxide from the environment. By defecating, whales bring essential nutrients to the surface of the water, where phytoplankton grow, and phytoplankton form the foundation of the marine food chain. Phytoplankton also breathe in carbon dioxide from the outside atmosphere to help them grow their body structures, and when they are consumed, they take this carbon dioxide with them, ultimately eliminating it from the environment. It seems incredibly strange that whale poop ultimately helps save the environment, but several studies have been conducted that prove how beneficial it is. 

https://www.livelimitless.net/when-whales-humans-unite/

Whales are such an essential part of the ocean’s ecosystem, as well as to our everyday environment. They are tender hearted creatures, and there are several ways to help protect them. If you are interested, here is a list of 40 different ways you can help save whales, with some fun ones being adopting a whale, and some other ones you can start at home, like reducing consumption of single use plastics and plastic bags. The fate of these creatures lie in your hands!

Coral Reefs: What We Can do to Protect Them

savila4

Coral Reefs: What We Can do to Protect Them

Written by Sofia Avila, Edited by Emily Ram

https://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=26806

How do coral reefs benefit us?

Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems that are not only beautiful, but extremely important to marine life. Not only do they serve as homes for marine animals, they are actually beneficial for human life as well. Coral reefs serve as barriers and buffers to coastlines and shores, protecting them against large waves, floods, and storms. Without the reefs, coastal communities can experience devastating damages to their property. However, coral reefs are being devastated every day by water pollution.  Water pollution allows for damaging algae to grow on the coral, as well as making it more susceptible to disease. Preventing water pollution comes back to the same basic principle: be aware of what you dispose of, how you dispose of it and be mindful of your plastic consumption habits.

 

Coral Reefs vs Sunscreen

Something that harms coral reefs that isn’t as publicized may come as a surprise to you. Have you ever thought of yourself directly impacting coral reef health just by swimming in the ocean? According to the Coral Reef Alliance, sunscreen has a direct link to decaying coral health. Most sunscreens have a chemical called oxybenzone, which is used to protect skin from the Sun’s UV rays. While it might benefit us, it doesn’t necessarily do the same for these coral reefs. This chemical has a direct link to bleaching coral, causing coral deformities, damaging coral DNA which affects reproduction, and disrupts natural coral hormonal processes. Some alternatives to popular yet damaging sunscreen are listed by Travel and Leisure. One that I’ve tried personally is Kokua Sun Care, which is a natural, zinc based cream that doesn’t harm marine life!  

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html

 

What can you do to protect coral reefs?

The EPA lists several ways you can help save coral reefs, and many of them start at home. First, when you’re on vacation and visiting these magical reefs, be mindful of your snorkeling and diving habits. Do not touch the reefs, and avoid anchoring boats to them, seeing as they are delicate and this can kill them. At home, there are plenty of ways you can help the reefs. One is by minimizing the use of fertilizers. Some of the nutrients found in these fertilizers, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are harmful pollutants and can destroy coral when introduced into the ocean. Another way to help is to reduce stormwater runoff. Using rain barrels to collect rainwater not only helps prevent flooding and diverting water to storm drains, but it is a resourceful way to water gardens and indoor plants.  Finally, a last method is spreading the word. People are aware that ocean pollution affects all kinds of marine life, but coral reefs are rarely mentioned. These reefs, while they don’t make up a big portion of ocean life, are extremely important ecosystems that are home to sea sponges, crustaceans like crabs and shrimp, and starfish, just to name a few.

Do your duty as a human living on this beautiful planet and help out as much as you can!

 

Where Does Ocean Plastic Come From?

savila4

Hey Ocean Olympians! For this week’s blog post, we’re focusing on the underlying issue of ocean pollution: where it comes from. of the ocean littered with all kinds of trash, but have you ever taken the time to reflect on how it got there? Today, we’re gonna highlight some of the ways trash makes its way to the ocean.

  1. Littering

We all know that there’s no excuse for littering, so why do people still do it? We may never know the answer to that question, but as the World Wildlife Fund states, trash dropped on the streets isn’t magically thrown away into a bin. Instead, rainwater and wind drag this waste into street drains, which ultimately is filtered back to the ocean. Remember, all drains lead back to the ocean! So next time you see trash littering the street, if it’s safe to pick up, properly dispose of it in a trash or recycling bin. It only takes two seconds, and your oceans will thank you!

It takes almost no effort to dispose of your litter properly! Image provided by actionforrenewables.org

     2. Products Going Down the Drain

There are so many types of products we flush down the toilet daily, and we probably don’t think twice about it. According to ocean.org , there are four products that are considered sinful to flush. First, wet wipes. Whether it be makeup wipes or baby wipes, this boujee toilet paper is responsible for clogging sewage pipes and releasing thousands of microfibers that are harmful to marine life. Another product is kitchen grease. When poured down the kitchen sink, the oil in your cooking pan forms into a solid, causing another form of sewage blockage. This eventually releases into the ocean as a form of pollution. 

A third waste are, surprisingly, contact lenses, which are made up of a bendable plastic. Sorry to contact lense users (myself included!), but throwing them down the drain causes the plastic to break into smaller plastic particles, invading the ocean. Finally, we have pills. Flushing pills down the drain releases all sorts of chemicals and hormones into the ocean, causing harm to all sorts of marine life.

 

     3. Recyclable Materials That Aren’t Recycled

Okay, we know that everyone is guilty of not recycling something that could’ve been recycled just out of sheer negligence. According to Greenpeace, plastics that end up with regular landfill, are at risk of being blown away into the environment, and can make their way into drains. The best thing we can do to prevent this is simple…recycle! Have a recycling bin separate from regular trash, and be proactive when throwing away waste. Even better, try to eliminate plastic all together! Baby steps include using reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, and using glass containers. There’s so many more plastic free alternatives, and if you’re looking for some ideas, check out My Plastic Free Life, as they list 100 alternatives!

9 tips provided by lessplastic.co.uk

Knowing that ocean pollution begins with what we decide to put down the drain, or throw on the street, is something that we can learn to correct. By simply recycling plastics, or being conscious of throwing away contact lenses in the trash rather than down the sink can help clean our seas and keep waste out of our beautiful oceans!

 

Written by Sofia, Edited by Skylar

A Brief Overview of Ocean Pollution

savila4

Volunteers picking up garbage that washes ashore

 

The Earth’s oceans cover 71% of the planet’s surface. There are five oceans on this planet, each containing depths of water we have yet to explore. Thousands of species live in these waters, millions of humans flock to the shores to enjoy the water, and some may even decide to spend days floating in the middle of the ocean aboard a huge ship. There has always been a fixation with oceans, and with good reason. So, if we adore our oceans so much, why do we keep polluting them? 

 

According to oceanconservancy.org, 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, piling on top of the already present 150 million metric tons of waste, making it the leading type of waste found in the oceans. This waste comes from all over the world, with China and Indonesia leading the list for being the biggest contributors. However, the United States is solely responsible for dumping approximately 242 million pounds of plastic waste into the oceans. Unfortunately, these numbers will not change until people realize how severe the impact of waste is, not only on marine wildlife, but on human beings as well. 

 

Marine life is affected by waste every day. Studies show that plastic is found in several types of species that interact with the ocean, from sea turtles to birds like pelicans. It is even estimated that 100% of sea turtles have had plastic in their systems. Even more concerning is the findings of plastic in 25% of fish that are consumed by human beings. Consumption of contaminated fish and other marine life such as shellfish like shrimp can have an unpleasant impact on human health if not caught beforehand. Plastics ingested by these species, called microplastics, are broken down over time. During the break down process, they release the chemicals that make plastic so durable, such as bisphenol A. There have been few widespread studies about how consuming these plastics affect the human body, but alarm has spread among health scientists. 

 

There are many different ways to prevent waste from polluting the oceans. It all begins at home. One of the first steps to take is reducing single use plastics. Things like plastic water bottles, shopping bags, straws and to-go containers can be replaced by more eco friendly products that will last you a lot longer. Another way you can help from home is recycling properly. Having a separate bin for recyclable items will help differentiate them from regular garbage, but it is always helpful to check your local recycling center about what is considered recyclable and what is not. Another way to help is volunteering. If you live near an ocean, you can volunteer through organizations like Ocean Cleanup and spend a day picking up trash that washes ashore. Even gathering a group of friends and heading out to clean on your own is a great way to get involved. If you don’t live by a big body of water, no worries! You can always donate to clean up organizations, but there’s always spreading the word. Taking part in initiatives to help clean ocean water, signing up to newsletters and even educating friends and family make a huge difference. Spreading the word and sharing knowledge makes a big impact!

 

Trash buildup on the coast of Indonesia

Written by Sofia Avila, revised and edited by Victoria Licona