Marine conservation

Marine conservation, also known as ocean conservation, is about protecting and preserving ecosystems in oceans and seas. This is done through careful planning to stop the overuse of marine resources, which are the plants and animals that live in the water.

People who work in marine conservation look at how marine plants and animals live and how their homes stay healthy. They noticed that many species are disappearing, habitats are getting damaged, and the way these ecosystems work is changing. Because of this, they focus on stopping humans from causing more harm, fixing damage that has already been done, and keeping species and places that are at risk safe.

Marine conservation is a new area of study that grew because of big problems like species going extinct and changes in marine habitats. It uses ideas from subjects like marine biology, Ecology, oceanography, and fisheries science. It also looks at things like how much people need marine resources, maritime law, and how money and policies affect these issues, all to find the best ways to protect marine life and ecosystems. Marine conservation is a part of the bigger subject of conservation biology.

History

After World War II, people became more interested in learning about the ocean because of books written by Rachel Carson. Her books helped start a time called the "marine revolution." In the United States, laws were made to protect ocean areas and create special places for wildlife. In 1969, a refuge in Maine was renamed to honor Rachel Carson. It protects many different kinds of ocean habitats.

In the 1970s, new technologies like computers helped scientists explore under the sea. They learned important lessons about how ocean life depends on each other. This led to new ways to protect and fix ocean environments. In 1972, a law was passed to help stop pollution in the ocean.

In 2009, scientist Sylvia Earle received a big award and started a project called Mission Blue. This project works to create protected ocean areas all around the world. That same year, Earle wrote a book about how changes in the ocean could affect everyone on Earth. Her work was inspired by Rachel Carson. In 2010, many important people joined together to support Earle's ocean protection efforts, and in 2011, a group called the Ocean Elders was formed to bring together scientists, leaders, and others to help protect the ocean.

Notable people

Some amazing people have helped protect our oceans.

• Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, writer, and environmental campaigner.
• Jacques Cousteau was an explorer, conservationist, researcher, and author.
• Sylvia Earle was a marine biologist, explorer, and author.
• Steve Irwin was a naturalist, conservationist, zoologist, herpetologist, and television personality.

Rachel Carson once wrote, "Although man’s record as a steward of the natural resources of the earth has been a discouraging one, there has long been a certain comfort in the belief that the sea, at least, was inviolate, beyond man’s ability to change and to despoil. But this belief, unfortunately, has proved to be naïve." from The Sea Around Us in 1951.

Human impacts on marine ecosystems

Further information: Human impact on marine life

If the oceans die, we all die. – Paul Watson

As more people live on Earth, we put more pressure on the natural world. Human actions have led to the loss of many plant and animal species and damaged places where they live. Big problems include taking too many fish from the sea, hurting coral reefs, and pollution from things like oil spills. Oceans also absorb a lot of carbon dioxide, which changes the water and harms sea life.

Coral reefs are important because they are full of different kinds of life and help both animals and people. But human actions, like taking too many fish and pollution, are hurting these reefs. This is especially hard for island nations that depend on reefs for food and jobs. Some people even use harmful methods to catch fish, which makes the problem worse.

Taking too many fish, known as overfishing, is a big problem. Many fish populations have shrunk because of this. Illegal fishing makes the problem even bigger. When certain fish are taken away, it can upset the balance of the sea and let other species grow too much, which also harms the environment.

International shipping can bring new species to places where they don’t belong. These new species can cause trouble by outgrowing native species and changing the balance of nature. Places like the San Francisco Bay have felt these effects strongly. To help, countries are making new rules to protect the oceans, especially around shipping and water discharge.

Extinct and endangered species

Marine mammals

Baleen whales were hunted a lot from 1600 to the middle of the 1900s and were almost gone when the world stopped whaling in 1986. The Atlantic gray whale is gone because of old hunting. Since the 1960s, monk seals have been disappearing quickly. The Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals are very rare now. The last Caribbean monk seal was seen in 1952 and is gone. The vaquita porpoise, found in 1958, is now the most rare sea animal. Many have died in fishing nets in the Gulf of Mexico.

Sea turtles

In 2004, experts said green turtles were in danger around the world. There are now many fewer green turtles than there were 100 to 150 years ago. The Kemp's ridley sea turtle almost disappeared after people took most of their nests in 1947. By the 1960s, only about 5,000 were left, and now there are about 1,000 each year.

Fish

In 2014, Pacific bluefin tuna were listed as at risk of disappearing because many are caught for food. Their numbers dropped by 96 percent in the Pacific Ocean. Most of the tuna caught are young and have not had a chance to have babies yet. Between 2011 and 2014, European, Japanese, and American eels were put on a list of animals in danger. The number of European eels has dropped by 95 percent since 1990.

Marine plants

Johnson's seagrass used to be listed as an endangered plant, but it was later found to be the same as another plant. Since the 1970s, there has been a big drop in this seagrass. This is because of poor water quality, boating, and climate change. Seagrass helps keep the balance of life in the ocean by giving animals a home and keeping the water clean. But these areas are still disappearing because of pollution and habitat destruction.

Techniques

Main article: Marine protected area

Marine conservation uses different methods to protect ocean life. One main way is to create special areas called marine protected areas or Voluntary Marine Conservation Areas. These areas help limit human activities that can harm the ocean. Some of these areas close only for certain times of the year, while others stay closed all the time. They also have different zones where people can do different things, like swimming but not fishing.

Another important part of marine conservation is making sure fishing happens in a way that does not run out of fish. This can be done by setting limits on how much fish can be caught, like the rules made by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Teaching people about the importance of keeping the ocean healthy is also key. For example, a project called Green Fins in Southeast Asia works with scuba diving groups to teach divers to protect coral reefs and other sea life while they explore.

Scientists also use new technology, like remote sensing, to study how rivers affect coastal areas. In addition, teaching people about sustainable tourism and helping them understand how their choices, like food and plastic use, affect the ocean can make a big difference.

Technology and halfway technology

Marine conservation technologies help protect animals and habitats in the ocean. These tools are important because they reduce accidental catches, help marine life stay healthy, and support people who depend on fishing for their jobs. Some examples are marine protected areas, turtle excluder devices, autonomous recording unit, pop-up satellite archival tag, and radio-frequency identification.

Pop-up satellite archival tags are special tools that help scientists study animals in the wild. They track movements of large animals like ocean sunfish, marlin, blue sharks, bluefin tuna, swordfish, and sea turtles. These tags collect information about where the animals go, how deep they swim, and the temperature around them.

Turtle excluder devices are important for keeping sea turtles safe. Many turtles get caught in fishing nets by accident. These devices, placed in fishing nets, let small animals like shrimp pass through while keeping larger animals like turtles safe.

Other tools, called halfway technologies, aim to increase the number of marine animals. These include hatcheries and fish ladders, which help animals without changing human behavior.

Laws and treaties

International laws and treaties help protect oceans and sea life. Important agreements include the 1966 Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas. In the United States, laws like the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act and the 1972 Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act help safeguard marine life and create National Marine Sanctuaries.

In 2010, the Scottish Parliament passed the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 to protect marine life, including seals. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea sets rules for using ocean resources and solving ocean-related problems. In June 2023, the UN adopted the High Seas Treaty to better protect wildlife and ecosystems in international waters.

Global goals

Marine conservation is part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 14 ("Life below water"). One goal is to protect at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Marine Protected Areas are important for conserving ocean life and helping ecosystems recover by limiting harmful human activities.

Organizations

There are many groups around the world that work to protect oceans. These groups help by giving money to important projects, teaching people about ocean protection, and pushing for laws that help the sea. Some well-known groups include:

• Ocean Wise (Canada)
• Oceana
• Blue Ventures
• Marine Conservation Society (United Kingdom)
• Fauna and Flora International
• Marine Conservation Institute (United States)
• Blue Frontier Campaign (United States)
• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (international)
• Community Centered Conservation (C3)
• Reef-World Foundation (United Kingdom)
• Reef Watch (India)
• Marinelife Alliance (Bangladesh)
• Live Ocean (New Zealand)
• ProtectedSeas (United States)
• TerraMar (United States)
• Australian Marine Conservation Society
• Mission Blue, which leads the Hope Spots initiative
• Zoox (United Kingdom) helps train volunteers who work on ocean projects like Green Fins.

Some groups work with people in their communities to help clean up beaches and rivers. Others work with governments to create rules that protect the ocean. Everyone can help by learning more about these issues and supporting the groups that are making a difference.

Prominent campaigns

Many ocean protection groups run special projects to get people involved. For example, Ocean Conservancy holds a big cleanup event every year where people around the world pick up trash from beaches. This helps keep our oceans clean.

Oceana works to change laws that protect the ocean, like stopping drilling in important areas. Greenpeace focuses on reducing plastic waste and protecting wild spaces like the Arctic. They share their work online so people can learn how to help.

Events and initiatives

There have been many events and initiatives to help share the importance of protecting our oceans.

Events

International Ocean Film Festival

The International Ocean Film Festival is a big event that shows over 50 films about life in the oceans. It lasts four days and aims to teach people about problems affecting the ocean and ideas to help protect it.

Rising Tide Summit

The Rising Tide Summit is led by several groups and includes speakers and questions from the audience. It also has workshops to learn about helping the ocean. This event focuses on people in California.

Initiatives

SaveOurOceans is a campaign on TikTok that works with groups to protect marine life. Influencers helped spread the message, and TikTok promised to donate money for each video using the hashtag to help reduce plastic waste.

SuitUpToCleanUp is another campaign that began in 2018 to encourage people to clean up pollution in local waterways. It was tied to a big cleanup event and used the hashtag #SuitUpToCleanUp for people to share their stories.

The Clean Oceans Initiative plans to raise more money to support projects that help keep oceans clean. These projects help improve water treatment, manage waste, and protect areas from flooding in many countries.