The Future of the Ocean
By: Savannah Clark
Tags: Oceans, Water Quality, Future Of The Ocean, Plastic Pollution

Since the beginning of our existence, humans have depended on the ocean to provide life for us. Between the warmer weather found closer to the coast, to the food that can be taken from it, the ocean has provided the human race with enough life to get us to the year 2021. However, even through all this, humans have shown less gratitude for this resource than is appropriate. As civilization progressed, waste began ending up in water ways that get flushed into the ocean. This has caused major death and destruction of marine life and overall ocean quality. Now that 2021 has arrived, a crossroads has been reached. If something regarding the state of the ocean is not done soon, we may lose this precious resource forever. Reversing the damage is doable, though, according to scientists. While devastation in the ocean has reached shocking levels in recent years, many experts claim that it is reversible with the invention of new groundbreaking technologies and innovative ideas, making it possible to fully restore the ocean to its former glory.

Background

The ocean is currently more polluted than it has ever been. Within the last twenty to thirty years, thousands of pounds of toxins have been dumped, whether intentionally or unintentionally, into the ocean. In some countries without established systems for recycling, used oils and other toxins are poured directly down the drain into waterways that eventually flush into the ocean. Third-world countries have reportedly higher rates of ocean pollution; indeed, 60% of the plastics floating in the ocean today can be traced back to just five countries (“Plastic Oceans”). According to Future Agenda, “Around 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities. Waste runs or is dumped into drains and rivers and hence the seas. Oil, fertilizers, sewage, plastics and toxic chemicals are all part of the mix” (“Plastic Oceans”). Though there are many toxins in the water, the most abundant pollutants are these five. Together, they have wreaked havoc on both water quality and marine life, killing thousands of creatures that constitute the very ecosystem of the ocean every year.

Where We are Now

It has been discovered that there is more trash in the ocean than originally thought. The University of Barcelona conducted a study about how much garbage has actually accumulated in the ocean. The Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the ocean, already contains the litter concentration and density of large scale landfills. In water that deep and cold, there is little to no life or currents to whisk away the trash to a more containable area for humans to collect, therefore it just sits and clogs the ecosystem. It is currently estimated that 62% of dirt lining the ocean floor is comprised of plastics trapped in the dirt and sand particles (“A Sea of Rubbish”). Miquel Canals, a scientist who was heavily involved in the study and reported its finding, argues the desperation by saying, “Marine litter has reached the most remote places in the ocean, even the least (or never) frequented by our species and not yet mapped by science. In order to correct something bad, we must attack its cause. And the cause of the accumulation of waste on the coasts, seas and oceans, and all over the planet, is the excess waste generation and spillage in the environment, and poor or insufficient management practices” (“A Sea of Rubbish”). Canals raises a good question, which is how to even begin to fix this issue. Though a scary thought, the realization of losing the ocean forever has caused many groups to come together in the interest of finding a solution.

Humans are not the only ones being affected, though; marine animals and plants have taken a tremendous hit due to the quality of the water they live in. Around 700 species have been greatly impacted by this issue, 17% of which have been on the watch list due to endangerment (“Plastic Oceans”). Often times plastics are mistaken for fish and consumed by whales, sea turtles, dolphins, and other ocean animals. These plastics are not digestible, therefore they sit in the stomach of the animal for years, often until the end of its life. Animals also suffer from infections, suffocation, drowning, and entanglement due to plastic.

Plants have taken a similar beating. Coral, a small rock-like mass that grows at the bottom of the ocean, is suffering from lack of nutrients in the water as a result of over-fishing and pollution to the point of extinction of some species. Coral is crucial to marine ecosystems because it provides a safe-haven for many other ocean-dwelling creatures, as well as protects the coast from vicious waves that would cause erosion. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coral reefs are one of the most diverse and crucial ecosystems on the planet. The NOAA goes on to state that, “Because of the diversity of life found in the habitats created by corals, reefs are often called the ‘rainforests of the sea.’ About 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs. Fishes and other organisms shelter, find food, reproduce, and rear their young in the many nooks and crannies formed by corals” (“Coral Reef Ecosystems”). Without coral, the entire ocean ecosystem would collapse. Without these plants and animals inhabiting it, the ocean would be just a vast body of toxin-filled water, still and lifeless and essentially dead.

The Future — What’s in Store?

The tremendous devastation to the ocean is only getting worse. According to Future Agenda, pollution has greatly impacted at least 267 marine species worldwide. This will only increase if left unattended, and “by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans. [This is due to] increasing high levels of man-made pollution in many of the world’s seas, little of which actually disappears” (“Plastic Oceans”). This is tremendous, as the ocean covers ¾ of the earth. If we continue on this route, we may destroy our seas beyond repair. With so much depending on the ocean, between jobs, food, tourism, animals, and ecosystems, many luxuries known to man today would disappear without this crucial resource.

This is only one possible future of the ocean, though. Due to many new technological advances, there is hope. While it is a known fact that the ocean is struggling with all the toxins we have dumped in, it is predicted to make a full recovery with the invention of many new devices and ideas. Boyan Slat, the founder and operator of Ocean Cleanup, recently came out with a new machine that sweeps the ocean, collecting all garbage that floats on the surface and storing it until the vessel reaches land again. According to Jordan Davidson, who followed the organizations and documented their mission, “The company announced that it was able to capture and hold debris ranging from large cartons, crates and abandoned fishing gear — or ‘ghosts nets,’ which are a scourge to marine life — to microplastics that are as small as one millimeter, according to an Ocean Cleanup press release” (Davidson). With alterations, Slat’s team hopes to improve the machine so that it can become even more efficient. Davidson continued, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is twice the size of Texas, is a swath of plastic debris brought together by the ocean currents and kept in formation by a whirlpool of currents. Ocean Cleanup now wants to scale up the project so it can hold plastic for a year before collection is necessary. [The organization] has the goal of removing half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This goal of eliminating a large portion of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will go a long way towards restoring the ocean, since it has the highest density of any collection of trash in the entire world. The more Slat’s team works on this invention, the more efficient it will become, saving the ocean one step at a time.

Another way to save the ocean, scientists predict, is through the use of renewable energy sources. Theses sources are growing in popularity each year, and can include thermal energy, solar energy, hydro power, wind power, and most notably, algae-based fuel. According to Margaret Leinen, “By 2050 our seas will be viewed as more than a platform for tourism and recreation and rather an ocean for solutions. Our sustainable energy solutions will be aided by marine algae-derived biofuel, while new medicines to treat modern diseases will be derived from sea creatures with novel chemical structures.” (qtd. in Hoff). The idea of using algae biofuel would go a long way in this scenario due to its sustainability; the ocean creates the algae that is used as fuel, humans remove the algae, and carbonic acid due to the absorption of carbon dioxide in the water is eliminated. This is important because the ocean absorbs approximately a third of the carbon dioxide put off by humans, which creates a buffer for global warming. If less carbon dioxide was put off, the water quality would start to improve due to lack of carbonic acid, making it a suitable place for marine life to call home again. Leinen also mentions the medical benefits of a clean ocean, which would greatly help society. If the marine life that resides in the ocean is healthier, some species may offer medical resources such as medications or supplements that might just be the cure to many illnesses.

Many companies are also finding ways to partner with ocean cleanup organizations to both fund and profit off the regaining of ocean health. Adidas recently teamed up with Parley for the Oceans, a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing trash (particularly plastic) from the ocean, to launch a new line of sneakers. The shoes featured the new Adidas design, incorporating the amount of trash of about 11 plastic bottles per sneaker. Only 7,000 pairs were made, and the stock sold out instantaneously. This new product helped to remove thousands of pounds of garbage from the ocean, helping eliminate waste from natural marine habitats. And Adidas did not stop there. According to Afdhel Aziz of Forbes Magazine, “Adidas supported the launch with the Run for the Oceans project which challenged people around the world to raise money for the project by committing a dollar for every kilometer. Adidas and Parley hosted a series of physical runs in several key cities worldwide including LA, New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Barcelona, Milan, and Shanghai, raising a million dollars for Parley education initiatives” (Aziz). This demonstrates an initiative that benefits both the company and planet, setting an example for many future collaborations. If more companies could figure out a way to incorporate ocean cleanup missions with demands of the American consumer, not only would ocean quality skyrocket, but the public would completely fund the initiative while still getting a product in return.

In recent years, human activity has cause major devastation of the planet’s oceans. Through the dumping of toxic chemicals to the use of fossil fuels, the ocean is becoming increasingly high risk of not recovering. It is not too late though, and many organizations are working hard to eliminate the strain put on this precious resource. With new inventions like trash-collecting machines and the use of renewable resources, the human impact on the ocean can be greatly reduced if not eliminated altogether. With time and work, the ocean can get back to its former glory, and with the help of many amazing minds, the future of the ocean looks just a little bit brighter.

Photo by Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash

Works Cited

“A Sea of Rubbish: ocean floor landfills.” Space Daily, 19 Jan. 2021. Gale General OneFile, 19 Jan 2021y, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A649060855/GPS?u=napl44696&sid= GPS&xid=cdf66d69. Accessed 5 Apr. 2021.

Aziz, Afdhel. “The Power of Purpose: How Adidas Will Make $1 Billion Helping Solve The Problem Of Ocean Plastic.” Forbes, 29 Oct. 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/ afdhelaziz /2018/10/29/the-power-of-purpose-how-adidas-will-make-1-billion-helping-solve-the-problem-of-ocean-plastic/?sh=7e8dd199d215. Accessed 31 March 2021.

“Coral Reef Ecosystems.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://www .noaa.gov/ education/resource-collections/marine-life/coral-reef-ecosystems. Accessed 4May 2021.

Davidson, Jordan. “Ocean Cleaning Device Succeeds in Removing Plastic for the First Time.” Eco Watch, 3 Oct. 2019. https://www.ecowatch.com/ocean-cleaning-device-plastic-2640832397.html. Accessed 8 Apr. 2021.

Hoff, Mary. “Envision 2050: The Future of Oceans.” Our World, 9 June 2015. https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/envision-2050-the-future-of-oceans#:~:text=By%202050% 20our%20seas%20will,creatures%20with%20novel%20chemical%20structures. Accessed 7 Apr. 2021.

“Plastic Oceans.” Future Agenda, https://www.futureagenda.org/foresights/plastic-oceans/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2021.

“The Problem of Marine Plastic Pollution.” Clean Water Action. https://www.cleanwater.org /problem-marine-plastic-pollution#:~:text=In%20the%20ocean%2C%20plastic%20 debris,fish%2C%20seabirds%20and%20marine%20mammals.&text=Because%20persistent%20organic%20pollutants%20in,transport%20them%20through%20ocean%20currents. Accessed 8 Apr. 2021.