ocean

Save the Whales

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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

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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!

 

10+ Things To Do While Self-Quarantining

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10+ Things To Do While Self-Quarantining

Written by Emily Ram, Edited by Victoria Licona

Welcome back Ocean Olympians! We hope y’all are staying safe and healthy during this global health crisis.  While we are aware that our mission is not to raise awareness about COVID-19, we want to make sure that all of our Ocean Olympians are doing their part in preventing the spread of this deadly disease. We really encourage all of you lovely people to do the following:

  • Stay home
  • Practice Social Distancing
  • Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals
  • Wash hands often with water and soap (20 seconds or longer)
  • Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry your hands
  • Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces
  • Clean and disinfect “High-Touch” surfaces often
  • Call before visiting your doctor
  • Practice good hygiene habits

We completely understand that staying at home and social distancing may sound so unbelievably boring to you, but it is so crucial in slowing down COVID-19’s spread. Here are some fun, ocean-friendly ways that you can spend your free time during quarantine:

1. Start doing yoga

8 Great Beginner Yoga Poses - Namaste

2. Follow along with an online workout video

  • Our team really enjoys: https://www.youtube.com/user/joannasohofficial

3. Cook or bake something new

  • There are so many great recipes out there! Don’t be afraid to try something new!

4. Learn how to sew

  • If you do learn how, then you can start making fabric masks to donate to local hospitals in need during this outbreak.

5. Upcycle your clothes (EX. tie die old shirts, cut old jeans into shorts)

  • There is so much you can do with a piece of fabric! Make something new from your old!

6. Learn how to juggle

  • Start with two tennis balls and see how many you can add in!

7. Learn a TikTok dance (no matter what age you are, this can actually be kinda fun)

  • Renegade’s is a great first dance to learn. Here’s a tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MvjnpK3Jrw

8. Learn a trick (EX. handstands, back-bends, aerials)

Pin by Emma Lassen on life | Yoga handstand, Yoga benefits, Yoga ...

9. Blow bubbles

  • This may sound childish but boy, it can be entertaining for a bit.

10. Hula-hoop

  • Not only can this be fun, but it can also help you to burn calories and get a smaller waist!

11. Jump-rope

  • This can be fun AND help you lose weight!

12. Chalk your sidewalk

  • Another thing that sounds childish, but once you start, HEY, you might have fun!

13. Sketch/Paint something

  • Here’s some inspiration to get you going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUSToY5Celk

14. If its sunny, lay in the sun

  • Just because you’re distancing from others doesn’t mean you can’t lay out! Hey, you can even take a nap outside instead of in your bed.

15. Ride a bike (or learn how to…)

  • Here is a link in case you don’t know how to ride (no shame if you can’t, one of our team members is just learning now): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqmzwVrkTU4

16. Learn how to sing or dance

  • Because lets face it, who doesn’t want to be an amazing dancer or singer?

17. Do a group Facetime or Zoom call with friends

  • You can still socialize when social distancing…Just it has to be from a distance!

18. Start watching a new series

  • All American, Tiger King, On My Block, Jane the Virgin, and Narcos are some of the many series our team loves!

19. Learn how to code

  • This article can help you get going towards your coding goal: https://lifehacker.com/top-10-ways-to-teach-yourself-to-code-1684250889

20. Have a themed dinner with your family (ex. zoo theme could have everyone come dressed in animal print and you could eat monkey bread for dessert)

 

 

Four Mind Blowing Facts about Pollution in our Ocean

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Welcome back Ocean Olympians! Today we’re going to list some eye opening facts regarding pollution in the ocean. We hope reading these terrifying facts push you to do more to help the ocean!

Fact #1: Over 8 million tons of garbage enters our ocean each year

According to Passport Ocean, over 8 million tons of plastic is deposited into our ocean every single year! This amount of plastic is “equivalent to emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute.” 

To grasp the reality of this fact the article “Simple Math Problems,” ” has made this crazy plastic statistic more comprehendible by comparing it to being the same as “two Empire State Buildings every month going into the ocean.” 

It might difficult to imagine that making a couple of changes in your daily life can help lower pollution and have a positive impact, but it really can. 

Fact #2: Pollution easily contaminates your seafood causing possible serious health issues

Think about it, pollution affects thousands and thousands of fish everyday. With that being said, it’s very possible that the seafood you eat contains some sort of plastic contamination. 

That sushi you ate last week could cause some serious health issues for your future. Don’t you want to be able to eat seafood without having to worry if it could hurt you? 

 

Fact #3: There is an island of garbage two times the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific ocean

 

According to Passport Ocean, “the number of floating plastic pieces outnumbers total marine life six to one in the immediate vicinity.” 

This island grows bigger and bigger everyday. 

 

Fact #4: There are now many dead zones in the ocean

What are dead zones? Dead zones are extremely scary because these places have no marine or plant life. Imagine, parts of the ocean completely void of life. 

Why are dead zones formed? Well, you guessed it- pollution. Due to pollution, low oxygen levels are formed in certain parts of the ocean creating dead zones. 

There are over 500 dead zones in the ocean, covering a similar size to the united kingdom. 

 

Most Common Items Found in the Ocean 

  • Cigarettes 
  • Food/Candy Wrappers
  • Plastic Bottles
  • Plastic Bags
  • Caps and Lids 
  • Beverage Cans
  • Straws and Tableware

 

These facts are extremely alarming considering that nothing is getting better. Our fish continue to consume plastic, the garbage island continues to grow larger, and dead zones continue to increase. 

If we all start making changes in our daily routine such as recycling or buying less plastic products, we could contribute to making a positive change in our oceans. 

 

Written by Skylar Griffin

Edited by Emily Ram

These Animals are Dying Everyday because of our Pollution

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Image result for dolphin affected by pollution

The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth! It is extremely important due to the fact that it provides us with food, aids us in balancing our climate, and produces over half of the world’s oxygen. So, how is it possible that we humans continue to use it as our dumping sight- killing over one million animals every year? 

 

This is list of just a few of the animals that are killed by our pollution everyday:

1. Whales and Dolphins 

Whales and dolphins often mistake crustaceans, fish, etc for plastic. Whales especially have large mouths, leading to an intake of large amounts of trash unknowingly. In one case a marine expert dissected an already deceased whale to find that it had “88 pounds of plastic waste jammed into its belly.”  Most plastics are pretty light in weight, so the fact that there was such a heavy amount in one whale is crazy! 

 

2. Seabirds 

One million seabirds are killed by pollution every year. The plastic that is consumed by seabirds can take up almost the entire storage of their stomach, causing extreme starvation. According to the Center of Biodiversity, “It’s estimated that 60 percent of all seabird species have eaten pieces of plastic, with that number predicted to increase to 99 percent by 2050.” 

 

3. Sea Turtles

Image result for cutting plastic soda ringsWhile turtles are also known to be killed from ingesting plastics, they are widely affected by fishing netting and plastic soda rings. These pollutants become wrapped around the turtles neck and shell making it tough to breath and move around. A way of helping this issue is to make sure to cut your plastic soda rings before you throw it away. While you may be throwing it in a trash bin there is still a possibility of it ending up back in the ocean. Cutting soda rings can aid with other marine life as well. 

 

Whether it’s recycling your own plastics or volunteering for ocean cleanup, just small gestures everyday can help our oceans immensely. When you’re debating on throwing a piece of trash on the ground or waiting for a recycling/trash bin, think back to these animals and how that one piece of trash could affect them. 

 

Written by Skylar Griffin, revised and edited by Kailyn Hayes

 

Carbon Dioxide’s Connection to the Ocean

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Written by Emily Ram, Edited by Victoria Licona

Image result for co2 ocean

Have you ever gone to the grocery store for one specific ingredient, but you ended up leaving with three more items than expected. By just adding those three more items to your cart, the price of your groceries increased from what could have been a $4 trip to the store to costing you $21.50.  Everything adds up.

With the planet’s oceans covering over 70% of the planet and providing an ecosystem for an innumerable amount of species, it is important we become more conscious of the actions we are taking.  Similar to how adding a few more things to your grocery cart can drastically change the price you pay at the register, all the actions we make daily have the ability to aid in adding to or preventing further ocean pollution.

One simple way to slow down the ocean’s destruction is by reducing our carbon footprint.

Carbon Dioxides Connection to the Ocean

According to https://archive.epa.gov/, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere whenever people burn fossil fuels.  Not only are we polluting the air when we burn fossil fuels, but we are also adding to the destruction of the ocean.  The oceans absorb as much as a quarter of all man-made carbon emissions annually.

A pie chart of top CO2 producing nations

A pie chart showing the lead contributors to CO2 emissions in 2019

How Ocean Acidification Works

When CO2 in the atmosphere rises, the ocean helps to maintain Earth’s carbon cycle by absorbing it.  Within the ocean, CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid.  This reaction—known as ocean acidification—causes the ocean’s acidity levels to rise.

Impacts of Ocean Acidification:

Oceans are undergoing acidification faster than they have in the past 300 years and it is estimated that if our current emission practices continue, the oceans could be nearly 150% more acidic than their current states.  Ocean organisms with calcium carbonate in their shells are taking a major hit.  Mollusks, crabs, and corals are some of the ocean’s many creatures that are struggling to grow their shells in the acidic waters.  Such calcium carbonate organisms are also struggling to reproduce, build homes, and survive in the ocean as a result.

Image result for ocean acidification

Visual of how ocean acidification impacts calcifiers

Shell-less organisms are being impacted, as well.  Fish are undergoing both negative mental and physical changes because of acidification.  The shellfish industry, which is the backbone of several coastal communities extending from Louisiana to Maine to Maryland, is being threatened by the rise in 0cean acidification.  The effects of ocean acidification on oyster harvest’s is said to have cost Pacific Northwest’s oyster industry is said to have cost nearly $110 million and 3,200 jobs.

Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

You may not think your carbon footprint has that much of an effect on the ocean, but every little bit of your footprint as an individual contributes to society’s massive footprint as a whole. Here are some things you can do to reduce it:

  • Take public transportation, walk, or ride a bike or scooter when available
  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room
  • Use natural lighting during the day
  • Dress in more layers during winter opposed to cranking up your heater
  • Unplug gadgets you aren’t using
  • Wash/Shower with cold water

 

The Connection between Life Above and Below the Ocean Surface

eram

Welcome back Ocean Olympians!

Did you know that 78 million tons of plastic packaging is produced annually and about 32 percent of it is released into the environment after production? This means that about 24,960,000 tons of plastic are being released into nature annually. To put that into perspective, that means about 55,027,380,641 pounds of plastic‒which is equivalent to about 137,568 full grown male hippos‒ can be found polluting our planet. 

Plastic makes up a large amount of ocean debris. The image above shows some common plastics that enter the ocean and the impact they have on marine life.

Plastic makes up a large amount of ocean debris. The image above shows some common plastics that enter the ocean and the impact they have on marine life.

 

Pollutants poisoning the ocean vary vastly but today we would like to bring a focus on plastics and toxic chemicals impacting our oceans.

 

According to planetaid.org, the world’s oceans provide over 97 percent of the world’s water supply, along with over 70 percent of the oxygen we inhale. Man-made pollution is challenging those statistics daily, as human actions are wreaking havoc on organisms beneath the ocean surface. Not only are human actions negatively impacting ocean organisms, but they are concurrently worsening human lives as well.

 

About 20 percent of plastic trash entering the ocean comes from offshore ships and platforms while the rest is blown into the sea, pulled in from beaches by tides, or deliberately dumped into the ocean, according to the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.  Because these plastics are non-biodegradable, fish and other organisms consume them.  Not only does the consumption of plastic contaminate sea animals, but just swimming in ocean water‒which is being contaminated by chemicals released from plastics in the ocean‒ is poisoning sea animals too.  The food chain is becoming increasingly contaminated due to the impact of plastic found in the ocean. 

 

Aside from plastic, chemicals like oil, mercury, lead, pesticides, and other heavy metals can all be found within ocean waters; These substances are also contaminating water supplies and corrupting our food chain through the poisoning of marine life. Exposure to such lethal chemicals for an extended period of time will contribute to an increase in poor health conditions‒like hormonal issues, reproductive problems, nervous system, and kidney damage‒within society. 

Chemicals that pollute the ocean have a large impact on much more than just ocean organisms.

Chemicals that pollute the ocean have a large impact on much more than just ocean organisms.

Because every little tiny piece of contamination that enters the ocean adds up to create such a large amount of pollution, it’s important that we start thinking more carefully about even our smallest actions in our everyday life. Some ways to prevent further ocean pollution is to:

  • Use reusable containers over Ziploc bags
  • Bring reusable bags to stores so plastic bags aren’t used 
  • Drink from glass or reusable bottles rather than drinking from single-use plastic water bottles
  • Join a cleanup crew for your area (Look for a Facebook group in your area or reach out to us and we can help you find one)
  • Substitute plastic straws for other alternatives 
  • Reuse and recycle
  • Save glass bottles from items like kombucha or jelly so you can store things in them rather than using Ziploc bags
  • Lobby to your local government
  • Spread the word about the importance of pollution prevention through word-of-mouth or by retweeting our twitter posts/sharing our informational blog posts!

 

Written by Emily Ram, revised and edited by Kailyn Hayes