Washington — Why is the ocean so important to our planet’s health? And what can we do to protect it?
Many environmental organizations — such as Ocean Conservancy, based in Washington — are answering such questions by explaining the vital role that oceans play in our daily lives and encouraging kids to get involved in coastal cleanup programs in their communities.
Scientists believe life on Earth began in the oceans, and marine life accounts for the majority of our planet’s life forms today, according to the Earth’s Kids website.
Oceans control climate and weather. Fisheries depend on oceans, as do the tourism-based economies of coastal regions. Transportation and telecommunications are affected by oceans. Oil, gas and mineral deposits are found in oceans, which also provide wave, thermal and wind energy. Marine biotechnology is a source of medicines.
But some 6.5 tons of trash ends up in oceans each year, and — as Ocean Conservancy points out — ocean trash can seriously affect human health (sharp items can cut beachgoers; batteries, car parts and chemical drums can leak toxic compounds). Wildlife is also threatened: Whales entangled in old rope or fishing nets can drown, and fish, birds and animals can die from eating trash they mistake for food.
Ocean Conservancy is responding to these threats, and putting kids at the forefront of many of its public campaigns.
For the past 25 years, Ocean Conservancy has organized its annual International Coastal Cleanup, enlisting volunteers worldwide to remove marine debris from their coastal communities. During its September 2010 cleanup events, “natural beauty was restored to beaches and riverbeds as bags of trash were hauled away, separated from recyclable items whenever possible,” the organization said.
One such cleanup event in Tampa, Florida, was spearheaded by rock musicians — the Jonas Brothers — and a corporate sponsor, the Disney Corporation. During that event, 11-year-old artist Olivia Bouler was recognized for her drawings of birds, which focused attention on wildlife affected by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
All 50 U.S. states participated in the 2010 International Coastal Cleanup efforts, as did countries around the globe. Ocean Conservancy volunteers documented worldwide highlights: Ghana residents devised a scheme to avoid using plastic garbage bags by collecting the debris in laundry baskets before wheeling it to the dump in barrels; volunteers in London discovered an antique sawed-off shotgun amid 5 tons of old ship wreckage; and scientists at Puerto Rican sites helped children identify any organisms collected with the debris from underwater cleanups and safely return them to their home.
To learn more about Ocean Conservancy, visit the organization’s website.