The Green Ethic

  • Ocean Acidification: The Silent Death of the Sea

    In the “Silent City” by G.R. Mathews, a tale is told where the surface of our world has become too polluted and toxic, forcing humanity to flee beneath the waves. Society is rebuilt under the sea and the people adapt to ocean life. Many tales are built on the idea that we have the ability to flee underwater when the surface finally perishes. But the story is just a story because the ocean has started to perish as well.

    Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the oceans pH, making it more acidic. This is due to the ocean having to absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which mainly comes from large scale human activities. The acidification is an entire chemical shift that reduces carbonate ions, which are invaluable to marine organisms that need to build their shells and skeletons. The damage done to these vital species shakes the entire marine web, a pipeline to countless consequences.

    Acidification isn’t killing just one species – it decimates entire systems. Entire coral reefs are turned to ghost towns which is causing a collapse in fish habitats. Without so many reefs we have a lower population of fish and reduced biodiversity. The plankton decline has destabilized food webs sending ripples through entire fisheries. Because of the behavioural effects on fish where they have had reduced abilities to detect predators, they have had a much higher mortality rate and serious population instability. This is systemic failure that quietly infects our oceans.

    The harm doesn’t just end at our waters. The consequences of acidification are vast and reach directly into human lives. Global fisheries have begun to be severely destabilized as shell-forming organisms begin to weaken and coral reefs collapse. This threatens food security for millions who rely on the ocean for sustenance. Coastal economies face huge economic declines through a loss of tourism and fishing. The loss of coral reefs remove natural coastal barriers which increase vulnerability to storms and erosion. These impacts severely damage coastal and indigenous communities who have built their livelihood and culture upon the sea. There is no separation between the ocean’s health and human survival.

    We imagine the sea as a refuge but after countless years of abuse we have rendered it as hopeless as our society. No matter how advanced our technology currently is, it cannot replace natural functioning ecosystems. While our world is made to adapt, it is still not fast enough to beat our relentless damage.

  • Sharks: The Real Threat?

    A deep dive into the worlds most misunderstood creature

    Imagine toasty warm… radiant… bright:  Sunny. Sandy. A shell-covered beach… A jump into the ocean…  A relaxing swim– BUT– all of a sudden down, deep down in the depths below you spy a dark ominous shadow. Panic immediately seizes your heart and the word “Shark!” swarms your mind. After that split second you begin to realize it’s just a large fish. The truth is that the odds of that nightmare moment you built in your head only has a 1 in 3.7 million chance of occurring. A statistic that has been blown wildly out of proportion by the media. We have been conditioned to dread them. But before we allow that fear to take hold of us, we have to ask: What is the real threat– sharks or us?

    So why does this fear plague everyone? For decades society has grown up consuming media portraying a twisted image of sharks– Jaws, 47 meters down, and Sharknado. These films have all created a warped perception around them that have struck fear in the hearts of millions around the world. This fear has built a society with very little sympathy for the 100 million sharks killed by humans each year. 

    Sharks guard our oceans. As apex predators, they are crucial in maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystem. They work as population control by preying on any animals that are weak, sick, and overabundant. This prevents the overpopulation of one species that may throw the ecosystem off balance. Sharks not only control the prey population, but also protect coral reefs. If the number of sharks is down in a reef it causes a significant rise in the number of mid-level predators. An overabundance of mid-level predators leads to the decline of herbivores, allowing algae to overwhelm corals. When sharks prey on the weak and sick, it prevents the prey from reproducing. This works as natural selection and only the strongest may escape the jaws of the sharks. This strengthens the fish population and reduces the number of ill that may pass disease onto others. Sharks command a presence of fear throughout the ocean that promotes biodiversity. Their presence influences where animals dwell and keeps them from dominating areas which allows many species to coexist and create a healthy habitat. Sharks not only aid the ocean but the climate as well. They enhance blue carbon, carbon stored in oceans, by maintaining the ecosystem. By helping the ocean store carbon, they mitigate the effects of climate change. 

    Despite being the apex predator, sharks face their greatest threat from humans. One-third of all known shark species are at risk of extinction. The perpetrator? Overfishing. It claims the lives of 274,000 sharks every day. The global abundance of sharks has decreased 71% in the last 50 years. Roughly 73 million sharks per year are taken just for their fins. Shark fin soup, a delicacy throughout Asia, is a status symbol. Sharks targeted for their fins aren’t killed, instead their fins are sliced off and thrown back into the ocean. Without their fins they will sink to the ocean floor and slowly suffocate. It is the complete destruction of 400 million years of evolution for soup. Bycatching, the unintentional catching of non-target fish, steals the lives of 80 million sharks annually. Sharks caught often die in the nets from stress or suffocation. Their brutal end serves no need for survival, only profit.

    Sharks are critical to the ocean. Their absence will lead to a potential collapse of the food web and widespread damage to the ocean. Coral reefs will begin to degrade, destroying homes for countless species. Sharks have roamed the seas for over 400 million years but in just a few decades we have pushed them to the brink of extinction. We can no longer stand by and watch as sharks are being hunted in their home. Not only is this an environmental failure, it is also an ethical one.

    If we continue allowing misinformation to strike fear in our hearts, we risk losing these awe inspiring creatures. It’s time to acknowledge the injustice. Sharks deserve better. We can do better. It is time to make a choice– fear them, or fight for them. They are not the villains of any story– we are. But this doesn’t have to define us. Everyone can do their part by educating others on the massacre occuring. Share the truth. Show others the importance and beauty of sharks. Because if the ocean’s top predator is dying by our hands, what does that make us?

    Works cited

    https://www.ifaw.org/journal/faq-about-sharks#:~:text=How%20many%20sharks%20are%20killed,around%20three%20sharks%20every%20second.

    https://www.businessinsider.com/shark-attacks-what-are-odds-of-getting-bitten-2018-7#:~:text=The%20chances%20of%20being%20attacked,death%20by%20a%20lightning%20strike.

    https://www.seasidesustainability.org/post/creature-made-killer-demonization-of-sharks-in-media

    https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/apr22/how-sharks-keep-the-ocean-healthy.html#:~:text=Sharks%20are%20often%20misunderstood%2C%20but,mammals%2C%20and%20other%20ocean%20life.

    https://sharkchampions.org.au/sharks-the-impacts-of-overfishing

    https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/global-extinction-risk-sharks-and-rays-high-united-states-may-provide-haven

    https://www.sharks.org/massacre-for-soup

    https://www.livescience.com/animals/sharks/humans-now-kill-80-million-sharks-per-year-25-million-of-which-are-threatened-species

    https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/sharks-are-key-to-the-health-of-our-oceans-and-climate

    https://oceana.org/press-releases/new-report-reveals-human-activities-threaten-survival-sharks-worldwide