Download MARINE LIFE - Reach Out To Asia

MARINE LIFE
Marine life include all the organisms living on or
dependent on water. The study of these organisms is
called Marine biology.
Marine Life Hazards
Following are some causes for the endangering the
marine life
 WHALING
But Japan has been using a loophole in international law to conduct "scientific research" on
whales for years. Each year, the Japanese government slaughters 850 minke whales. This
year, they have announced plans to expand their "research" to kill 50 endangered humpback
whales, and 50 endangered fin whales, in addition to their usual minke slaughter.
 OVERFISHING
Beneath the serene beauty of our ocean waters lurks a nightmare worse than any Jaws
movie. Entire populations of fish are being targeted and destroyed, disrupting the food
chain from top to bottom. Overfishing happens when the amount of fish caught exceeds the
amount of fish needed to sustain fish stocks in a given region.
 GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming impacts all life on Earth, and the oceans are no exception. From coral
bleaching to sea level rise and higher ocean temperatures, entire ecosystems are rapidly
changing, and animals are having a difficult time surviving the impacts. The effects are
already beginning to be felt. Whole species of marine animals and fish are at risk due to
the temperature rise - they simply cannot survive in the changed conditions.
 BYCATCH
In a general sense, Bycatch is the catch of something that is not the main objective of a
fishing fleet. Vessels that go fishing for certain tuna of certain size end up catching other
fish. This happens in pretty much all fisheries to some extent Every year, fishing nets kill up
to 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world. Fishing nets pose the greatest
threat to the survival of many species. In fact, some fishing practices destroy entire
habitats, as well as inhabitants.
 POLLUTION
Our oceans have become a dumping ground for a wide variety of pollutants, including
pesticides and nutrients from agriculture, sewage, industrial discharges, urban and
industrial run-off, accidents, spillage, explosions, sea dumping operations, mining, waste
heat sources, and radioactive discharges.
 OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
There is evidence to suggest that human activities have caused the amount of carbon dioxide in
our atmosphere to rise dramatically. This impacts on the marine environment as the world’s
oceans currently absorb as much as one-third of all CO2 emissions in our atmosphere. This
absorption of CO2 causes the pH to decrease, resulting in the seawater becoming more acidic. It
is difficult to predict the overall impact on the marine ecosystem but many scientists fear that
ocean acidification has the potential to decrease marine biodiversity on a very large scale.
CONSERVATION OF
MARINE LIFE
After the above mentiones hazards here are a few
simple ways to prevent the destruction of marine life
and help conserve it .
 Limit the use of plastics and other
waste product
Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? That is a name coined to describe the
huge amounts of plastic bits and other marine debris floating in the North Pacific
Subtropical Gyre, one of five major ocean gyres in the world. Sadly, all the gyres seem to
have their own garbage patch. Plastic stays around for hundreds of years, can be a hazard
to wildlife and releases toxins into the environment. Stop using so much plastic. Buy
things with less packaging, don't use disposable items and use reusable bags instead of
plastic ones wherever possible
 Eat eco-friendly fish
Our food choices have a huge impact on the environment - from the actual items we eat to
the way they are harvested, processed, and shipped. you can take small steps in the right
direction by eating eco-friendly fish and eating local as much as possible. If you eat
seafood, eat fish that is harvested in a sustainable way, which means eating species that
that have a healthy population, and whose harvest minimizes bycatch and impacts on the
environment.
 Stop the problem of ocean
acidification
Global warming has been a hot topic in the ocean world, and it is because of ocean
acidification, known as 'the other global warming problem.' As the acidity of the oceans
increases, it will have devastating impacts on marine life, shellfish, and the animals that
eat them.But you can do something about this problem right now - reduce global warming by
taking simple steps that will likely save money in the long run - drive less, walk more,
use less electricity and water - you know the drill. Lessening your "carbon footprint"
will help marine life miles from your home. The idea of an acidic ocean is scary, but we
can bring the oceans to a more healthy state with some easy changes in our behavior.
 Be energy efficient
Along with the tip above, reduce your energy consumption and carbon output wherever
possible. This includes simple things like turning off the lights or TV when you're not in a
room, and driving in a way that increases your fuel efficiency. It might sound strange, but
being energy efficient helps the Arctic marine mammals and fish because the less energy
you use the less our climate heats up - then the ice won't melt.
 Participate in clean up
Trash in the environment can be hazardous to marine life, and people too! Help clean up a
local beach, park or roadway and pick up that litter before it gets into the marine
environment. Even trash hundreds of miles from the ocean can eventually float or blow into
the ocean. Try your best to participate in any kind of clean up committees . If you don’t find
the time then try to avoid throwing trash in water or anywhere in the first place.
 View marine life
Make time from your busy life and observe the marine life by going to beaches , seas and other places.
Find your own way to help conserve marine life or at least try to create awareness among other
people about the importance of marine life and how it affects us. Your smallest efforts can make great
impact to save marine life .