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Why is the ocean so important for life on Earth?

Why the ocean is important to all life on Earth, what threat…

Written by

IOC-UNESCO

Publishing Date

28 April 2022

Reading time

10 min

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the ocean is the heart of our planet, the ocean is important for life on Earth, including that of humans. Its balance and health are essential for the survival and prosperity of all life forms, human and otherwise.
More than two-thirds of the Earth is covered in water, which is why we should call it the Blue Planet. The ocean, which contains 97% of all the water on the planet, is divided into five main basins: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern. In reality, however, it is one huge body of water, also called the “global ocean” that connects the entire world.

This incredible body of water not only provides us with food, work, life and entertainment, but also functions as a life support system for the planet, and it is essential to understand the complexity of its role in our lives.

Blue Schools Network — Matt Hardy from Pexels

Why is the ocean important?

Here is some information about the role of the ocean in our lives. These facts may surprise you, but they will certainly convince you of the importance of developing a sustainable relationship with our Blue Planet.

The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth, containing 99% of the planet’s habitable space.
The ocean covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface and contains more than 97% of the Earth’s water.
Phytoplankton, a microalgae that lives on the surface of the ocean, produce about 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe through photosynthesis.
The ocean stores carbon: it absorbs huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂), one of the greenhouse gases primarily responsible for climate change.
The ocean regulates climate on a global scale by moving heat around the planet. Warm currents move from the poles toward the equator and back after cooling, influencing Earth’s weather patterns.

The ocean provides millions of jobs, goods and services to people around the world. Safeguarding marine ecosystems is therefore of the utmost importance if we are to protect our planet from climate change, safeguard our health and that of all life on Earth.

Human Activities Related to the Ocean

Humans have been exploring and using the ocean’s resources since the beginning of time. Let’s take a look at the main activities we do with the ocean and that are considered part of the “Blue Economy”, which is all the industrial activities based on the ocean.

Oceano è importante_Decennio del Mare_5 — Adrien Sala – Unsplash

Food

The sea accounts for about 17% of global edible meat production. It is an important source of food for people around the world and, as we know, global demand for food is increasing. Food from the sea contains bioavailable proteins, essential fatty acids and micronutrients, which are particularly important in low-income and food-deficit countries.

Ocean food can be produced by wild fisheries or mariculture. However, the impact of fishing can be devastating to the health of the ocean and new policies are needed to safeguard marine ecosystems.

Oceano è importante_Decennio del Mare_1 — Pexels

Energy

Did you know that marine energy resources, such as waves, tides, currents, and salinity and temperature gradients, can be used to produce renewable energy?

In recent decades, research has led to huge advances in the technologies needed to develop marine energy: the ocean and its waters could be the key to developing a more sustainable future.

Oceano è importante_Decennio del Mare_3 — William William from Unsplash

Transport

Nearly 90% of global trade currently takes place using maritime routes: the ocean contains all the major trade routes on the planet.

The maritime transport sector is a source of jobs for millions of people and is part of a whole cluster of economic activities that create great economic value from the ocean.

Oceano è importante_Decennio del Mare_4 — Jeremy Bishop from Pexels

Recreation

We all know that a beach vacation is always better! Tourism, recreation, and entertainment are another big part of the economy that is tied to the ocean and coastal waters. It is of utmost importance that we develop sustainable practices in this sector so that we can continue to enjoy the sea and its wonders. By doing so, we will also support the islands, coastal communities, and their inhabitants.

New Mining

In recent years, the ocean has been further explored, new industries have been established and have flourished. These include the extraction of components for medicinal purposes, the cultivation of algae for food and fuel, and the extraction of new raw materials.

Threats facing the ocean

As the needs of people and the economy grow, so does the impact that humans have on the ocean. It is essential, at this time, to rethink our relationship with the ocean and work towards a more sustainable approach.

The main threat we face is ocean pollution, and as you might imagine, most of it comes from human activities, both along the coast and inland. Here are some of the main causes of marine pollution.

Nonpoint Source Pollution – Runoff

NPS pollution is the result of land runoff, precipitation, and atmospheric deposition. As rain or snowfall moves through the ground, the pollutants picked up and transported are eventually deposited in lakes and rivers, and then carried to the ocean.

Non-point source pollution may include:

Excess fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides
Oil and toxic chemicals from automobiles
Sediments from poorly managed construction sites
Soil and mineral deposits from irrigation and abandoned mines
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock and faulty septic systems

How to prevent non-point source pollution? We can all do something in our daily lives to prevent pollution. Here is a basic list of what you can do:

Keep waste out of gutters and street drains: Waste often flows directly into lakes, rivers, and wetlands through these.
Use natural garden products.
Dispose of used oil and other chemicals properly (i.e., not down drains or sewers).
Make sure your septic system is working properly with routine inspections.
Use low-phosphorus household products.

Direct or Intentional Dumping

Intentional dumping is caused by people deciding that the best place to dump toxic chemicals and debris is into our waterways.

Direct dumping includes:

Toxic waste from industrial plants
Sewage materials passed directly into the ocean
Deliberate discharges from tankers and vessels that do not comply with regulations
Waste thrown into the water, most of which is plastic

Oil or Chemical Spills

Oil and chemical spills are called point sources of pollution because they come from a single source. Spills resulting from damaged or faulty structures are also considered a type of point source pollution.

These events are typically caused by accidents and can have a very destructive impact on the surrounding environment. Fortunately, they do not happen very often and are usually addressed promptly.

However, as we all know, crude oil is very difficult to clean up and has devastating long-term effects on marine ecosystems.

Oil spills are not the only way ships pollute the sea: they also dump plastic debris, human waste, and large amounts of fuel into the water. Not to mention the noise pollution they produce, which disrupts the balance of marine life.

Littering

Ocean and waterway litter is a byproduct of littering in general, even if far from land, and not just the result of debris being dumped directly into the sea: sewage systems carry inland waste into the ocean. Marine debris comes from humans, both from land and ocean sources.

Common examples of marine debris include plastic items, such as shopping bags and bottles, plastic wrap, and fishing gear.

It is well known that littering and marine pollution cause the formation of high-concentration areas of litter that are located at the center of ocean gyres. Gyres are rotating ocean currents; there are five of them: one in the Indian Ocean, two in the Pacific, and two in the Atlantic Ocean.

How to Prevent Litter Pollution: To solve the problem of marine debris, especially plastic waste, we need to change society’s approach to plastic use and disposal.

Ocean and Deep Sea Mining

Deep sea mining involves drilling into the ocean floor to extract materials such as gold, lithium, cobalt, copper, and zinc.

This activity is devastating to the balance of the deepest levels of the sea, much of which is still unexplored. Not only does it destroy habitats and ecosystems, but it also leads to the creation of sulfide deposits, the damaging environmental impact of which is not yet well understood.

Some scientists warn that in order to extract valuable minerals, we could destroy entire ecosystems and wipe out entire species that we have not yet discovered.

Is it really worth it?

How to Balance Economics and Conservation

Let’s look at some strategies we can implement, both in our daily lives and on a larger scale, to balance our use of the ocean and the preservation of its ecosystems and health.

Reducing marine pollution

One of the most important things we can do is to prevent waste and plastic from entering the ocean. On an individual level, we should all try to reduce our consumption, especially of single-use plastic items, as well as support and incentivize the production and use of viable and sustainable alternatives.

Here are some other changes we can work towards as a society:

Eliminate coal burning, which will reduce mercury pollution;
Shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy;
Ban single-use plastics, such as straws and plastic bags;
Better control the production of coastal pollution;
Expand marine protected areas to safeguard critical ecosystems.

Managing food production sustainably

The world population is increasing and so is food production. However, we must do our best to create sustainable growth in this sector. For example, we can work towards implementing global ocean governance and more transparent supply chains, which in turn would strengthen opportunities for local communities and coastal cities.

This would involve, for example, increasing monitoring, control and surveillance to avoid illegal and unregulated fishing, an activity that has disastrous effects on ocean ecosystems.

It is also essential to avoid harmful fishing practices and overfishing, as well as implementing policies that minimize the environmental impact of aquaculture.

Mitigating Climate Change

As we have explained, climate change and the ocean are inextricably linked. To avoid exacerbating the global warming crisis, we need to address how we treat our ocean. The focus in the coming years will be on:

Decarbonising shipping

Shipping is responsible for around 30% of global NOx emissions, which have been linked to thousands of serious and premature deaths in coastal areas.

It is therefore essential that we work to reduce emissions from shipping.

Developing clean, ocean-based energy

The ocean-based renewable energy revolution has already begun: all we need to do now is increase investment to enable the adoption of new technologies. Of course, we can only harness the power of the ocean while keeping a careful eye on minimising the impact on marine ecosystems.

Promoting sustainable tourism

Achieving sustainable marine and coastal tourism that can withstand and overcome future crises is possible, but requires significant public and private investments. For example, promoting nature-based solutions, reinvesting tourism revenues in local communities and sustainability projects, and encouraging transparency in all activities.

Avoiding Biodiversity Loss and Protecting Coastal Waters

Another way to promote green development is to support the protection and conservation of coastal waters and marine ecosystems.

For example, by creating and supporting marine protected areas and developing nature-based infrastructure that can help local communities manage marine activities sustainably.

It is definitely not too late! Together, we can work towards creating a sustainable and holistic Blue Economy.