Marine environmentalism
Šimon
Vykoukal
Střední Scioškola Praha 3
2023–2024
SCHEMA
Overfishing
― Major threats for marine fish stock for 2014
Opinions
Acidification
O&A
― CO2 emissions by world regions for 2022
― Opinions
Underwater oil extraction
― Oil production by countries for 2022
Opinions
Underwater metal extraction
Opinions
Aquaculture
Wild fishing vs aquaculture
― Opinions
Desalination of seas
― Opinions
Marine heatwaves
― Impacts of marine heatwaves
Opinions
Rising sea levels
― Average sea level since 1993
Opinions
Plastic pollution
Numbers
― Top 10 greatest sources of plastic pollution in the oceans
Opinions
Sources and links
OVERFISHING
is an excessive fish stock catch from the oceans, seas and other watercourses, before they can reproduce. This poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and potentially leading to extinction of entire species of fish.
Overfishing is often the result of high demand for seafood, government subsidies, modern technology for fishing and/or inadequate fisheries management such as insufficient regulations.
Significant threats to marine fish stocks as of 2014
More than 3 billion people in the world depend on fish, whether for consumption or work. If they were denied this source of food and livelihood, several million people in the world would die (mostly by starvation) and the structure of undersea biodiversity and food chain dynamics would experience a shock that could cause a natural mass mortality of wild fish.
OPINION 1
The possible solution to overfishing is compliance with sustainable fishing regulations. These regulations determine, for example, how many fish you can catch. In this way it is possible to maintain fish stocks large enough to ensure their continued reproduction.
OPINION 2
Quotas and regulations for sustainable fisheries. Introduction of new marine areas where overfishing has occurred can significantly reverse the negative effects that overfishing has caused in specific areas. Reduce seafood consumption significantly. Introduce a ban on international waters, which are 99% unprotected could lead to significantly effective solutions to overfishing. Ban fishing subsidies such as fuel subsidies, subsidies for the construction of new fishing vessels or subsidies for fishing gear.
ACIDIFICATION
is a chemical process that changes the acidity level of the oceans due to excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The increased amount of CO2 in the air is caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels, and as marine algae, seaweed and marine greenery in general create more than 70% of the Earth‘s breathable air through photosynthesis, this factor is very crucial.
Why does the water become acidic?
Because CO2 in the air is acidic and is deposited in water.
And how does CO2 get into the air?
Mostly through fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas, or coal.
Does it mean that fish and plant life are dying? Some fish are, most are migrating to greater depths or to less acidic waters, which has a negative economic impact. Vegetation is dying, resulting in a decline in photosynthesis and an increase in CO2 .
How does this affect the underwater world? Because of the toxic environment, the water for all the underwater world is becoming uninhabitable.
How to stop acidification of waters?
Replace coal-fired power stations with nuclear power plants. Promote ecological transport (electric cars, hydrogen). Expand blue carbon areas (areas with vegetation significantly burning CO2).
CO2 emissions by world region in 2022
OPINION 1
The biggest culprit of acidification is fossil fuels. Science academies have come up with several solutions to the fossil fuel problem of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide. One potential solution is to ground CO2, which will be stored underground and not released into the air. Another solution is to focus on protecting green plains, which process the most CO2 compared to other areas, or the expansion of green spaces and blue carbon zones, which are ecologically important areas, particularly along the coast, where rapid and large amounts of CO2 are depleted.
OPINION 2
Replace the use of vehicles, aircraft and vessels using fossil fuels with other fuels (electric motors, SAF, LNG, biofuels, hydrogen...). Abolish and do not build new coal-fired power plants that have the largest contribution to CO2 in the atmosphere. Replacing coal with nuclear power is the best possible solution. Nuclear does not emit into the air no CO2, only water vapour, which is not harmful.
UNDERWATER EXTRACTION
Underwater oil extraction
Oil is a very important raw material that we use to move vehicles, make plastics, and various chemicals. Approximately 35% of all of our oil deposits are underwater, whether in the shallows or at ocean depths. The extraction of oil underwater has several negative impacts on the local environment.
USA
17 770 000 B/D
+ 6,5 % annual increase
4 520 000 B/D + 10,2 % annual increase SAUDI ARABIA
IRAQ
RUSSIA
3 107 000 B/D
+ 3,9 % annual increase
12 136 000 B/D + 10,8 % annual increase KUWAIT
11 202 000 B/D
5 576 000 B/D + 3,0 % annual increase
4 111 000 B/D + 2,9 % annual increaset
3 028 000 B/D + 12,0 % annual increase CHINA
+ 1,8 % annual increase MEXICO
1 944 000 B/D + 0,9 % annual increaset SAE
IRAN
4 020 000 B/D + 10,4 % annual increase
3 822 000 B/D + 4,6 % annual increase
NORWAY
1 901 000 B/D - 6,3 % annual increase
OPINION 1
The hydraulic fracturing method is commonly used to extract oil fracturing, which requires large amounts of water. At the same time it uses dangerous chemicals for its surroundings (acids, diesel, naphthalene, lead, ...). This method can cause fatal damage or completely destroy local ecosystems and lead to the death of several fish and plants. Poor positioning of drilling turbines can cause oil spills or leaks of the oil used chemicals into the water, which is devastating for local animals. Most oil accidents occur on platforms during transportation oil through pipelines.
OPINION 2
Extraction needs to be significantly reduced or completely eliminated of subsea oil. Around one million animals a year die as a result of poisoning from oil that escapes from their deposits due to bad drilling or leakage from ships or pipelines. Spilled oil travels through the sea and often ends up washing up on the coast, where it damages other ecosystems. The absorption of oil into the sea or soil can take months. In the meantime, it will cause considerable damage to local waters/soil.
The best solution would be to reduce oil extraction and replace in all respects with alternatives (fuel - biofuels, hydrogen, electric batteries; plastics - bioplastics, glass, metals, wood; pharmaceuticals - biomass; fertilisersurea...).
Underwater metal extraction
A relatively new method of mining, with ongoing improvements and technology development.
It is a response to the increasing demand for raw materials due to increasing pressure on sustainability and environmental constraints. There are vast deposits of metals at the bottom of the seas such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, zinc, copper, graphite, manganese and other metals that are in large quantities important for the production of batteries for electric cars, wind turbines, solar panels and other low-carbon technologies.
Scientists have warned that underground mining will cause permanent damage to ocean ecosystems. This could seriously affect fish populations that provide food and sustenance for many Pacific communities that are indigenous peoples.
OPINION 1
Stricter regulation of marine protected areas in mining zones can protect vulnerable ecosystems. Organisations such as the International Seabed Authority (ISA) have to address this issue strictly so that interference with local biodiversity as little as possible, but at the same time allowing people to draw new resources here. The so-called Environmental Impact Assessment is important (EIA), which should make a precise plan of the solutions and impacts when using a particular technology (i.e. how big will the impacts be, how devastating it will be to nature relative to the metals extracted - the profit). The technologies should be as environmentally friendly as possible and emit no (or at least minimal) waste into the waters.
OPINION 2
There should be more investment in recycling facilities that can sort equipment composed (at least in part) of metals into individual parts according to material, and then modify these into a reusable form. Recycling would make more raw materials that would not need to be extracted. Mining should benefit both nature and people. Materials from mining can be used to make electric cars or wind turbines that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. fuels. Mining companies and organisations that oversee these mines should therefore be vigilant about not abusing the sale materials and tighten the conditions for the operation of mining trucks, as well as to reduce the areas designated for mining.
AQUACULTURE
Aquaculture is the deliberate keeping of fish in a body of water. Fish are kept there for the sole purpose of subsequent sale and consumption. Aquaculture began to emerge in the 1950s as a response to increasing fishing in natural waters, which had and still resulted in massive fish kills and the destruction of local ecosystems that were losing their inhabitants. Aquaculture is now more widespread than wild fishing, and many aquatic ecosystems are beginning to regenerate, unfortunately at the expense of caged fish, which in most cases often die before slaughter due to poor living conditions.
Marine fish production: Wild Fishing vs Aquaculture
The amount of fish caught in the period 1960-2015
WILD FISHING AQUACULTURE
If there is not enough space, Atlantic salmon become stressed and aggressive. They are territorial when young and as adults, they migrate long distances. These cages are essentially tanks that confine the fish and prevent them from performing some of their natural behaviours.
― Dr Lynne Sneddon, University of Gothenburg
According to a report from industry member organisation Salmon Scotland, the dead 2.8 million farmed salmon in Scotland in September 2022.
OPINION 1
Aquaculture has potential as a sustainable solution for seafood production. Extending aquaculture closer to the coasts and regular monitoring of fish can ensure their nonbreeding, reducing the risk of disease and allowing for larger tanks to allow for better living conditions for fish.
OPINION 2
Aquaculture is not okay. Fish live in confined spaces, have limited movement and very poor living conditions. The fish suffer from depression, increasing the likelihood of disease, leading to infection of nearby fish and death before slaughter. The fish also as a result of acidification and rising water temperatures, will become saturated with CO2 themselves, thus becoming an unwanted delicacy for the consumer. Supporting traditional fishing communities and sustainable fishing practices, banning aquaculture and introducing strict legal regulations is the only viable future for the lives of exploited fish.
DESALINATION OF SEAS
is the process by which salt is separated from the seawater. The water is then refiltered and becomes drinkable or potable. Desalinated water is not completely healthy for humans, plants or the soil on irrigation because of the lack of important minerals and, conversely, the presence of toxic elements. The residual salt creates a strong salt solution, called brine, which is unusable and is discharged back into the sea, which is fundamentally damaging marine ecosystems.
In addition, the desalination plant for energy intensity, the desalination plants use fossil fuels as a source of energy, which releases pollutants into the air.
Some 300 million people depend on desalinated seawater, mainly in the Middle East. 60% of the water used for irrigating crops worldwide comes from desalination.
Desalinated water lacks sodium and chlorine, which are important for human organisms. It has low levels of calcium, magnesium and sulphate, which are important for human and plant life. Desalinated water contains boron, which, even in small amounts, can be harmful to some sensitive plants (citrus, beans, vines, fruit trees in general, ...).
OPINION 1
Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
A document that maps individual environmental problems and describes their potential solutions. EMPs are produced mainly for local purposes (for a specific area, usually not nationally or globally), and so individual solutions to the same problem may change in response to other local conditions. However, it is possible to find commonalities in solutions to problems desalination problems among these EMPs. Dilution is emphasised in brine with otherwise contaminated water (such that it is minimally harmful to the sea) or separation of minerals in the brine, their treatment and sale (e.g. common table salt).
They have proven to be very effective in the fight against brine Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technologies, which are designed to ensure zero effluent anywhere in the environment. The technologies used to achieve this are processes such as membrane channels, distillation or crystallisation of minerals in water. These technologies are however, expensive and therefore cannot be seen in every desalination plant. Desalination plants in some rich countries use renewable fuels instead of fossil fuels sources, which dramatically reduces the amount of (e.g. Spain, UAE, Israel, USA, Australia...).
The supply of fresh water is steadily decreasing, while demand is constantly increasing. In the 20th century, the world‘s population has quadrupledbut water consumption has increased sixfold.
― McKinsey & Company
Agriculture, industry, urbanisation and population growth, all increasing demand. Climate change is reducing supply. If we are to combat water scarcity, we need to consume less, waste less, reuse more and create more.
OPINION 2
Industrial water desalination leads to the production of huge amounts of waste and pollution that devastate aquatic ecosystems and threaten human and animal health. There is a need for a ban on industrial desalination, the use of alternative water sources (e.g. rainwater harvesting), improve sewage systems, increase cooperation, for example between the EU and Middle Eastern countries.
MARINE HEATWAVES
Marine heat waves are caused by excessive increases in sea water temperatures as a result of global warming. It is the excessive release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mainly due to fossil fuels, industrial activity and deforestation.
Greenhouse gases trap the heat energy produced from the sun‘s radiation and cause a gradual warming of the atmosphere and the oceans. This rise in sea water temperature results in extreme and unusual heat waves that have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, including mortality corals, biodiversity degradation and threats to marine animals.
EXTREME
WEATHER
Tropical storms
≈ Hurricanes
Impacts of sea heat waves
OCEAN
PRESSURE stratification ≈ acidification ≈ deacidification
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY habitat compression
disruption of food webs
species migration
mass mortality
ECONOMIC LOSSES increased mortality of economically important species
tourism
aquaculture
wild fishing
OPINION 1
Planting resilient coral species, promoting local growth coral populations and creating buffer zones around reefs can make a significant contribution to reducing water temperatures. Conservation of blue carbon zones (mostly coastal waters rich in mangroves, green plains and swamps) appears to be key, as they absorb up to five times more CO2 than trees, but they make up only 2% of the surface area of the seas.
OPINION 2
One of the key steps to combat sea waves is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We need to switch to renewable energy sources, reduce consumption of fossil fuels and invest in energy efficiency (as with acidification). It would also be appropriate to invest in preparing for and preventing extreme climatic events including the construction of rescue and safety infrastructures, training of the population. Globally the incidence of marine heat waves will increase by 41% at the global warming of approximately 3.5 °C compared to pre-industrial times the Industrial Revolution.
RISING SEA LEVELS
The phenomenon of rising sea levels is a direct result of global warming and the melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets stemming from the excessive release of greenhouse gases. This results in sea level rise and flooding coastal areas.
Rising sea levels result in various impacts, including coastal erosion, loss of habitat for marine life and threats to human populations living in coastal areas.
Average sea level since 1993
The graph shows the global mean sea level (blue) since 1993 as measured by a series of five satellites. The dotted pink line shows future sea level rise. Source: NASA-JPL/Caltech
OPINION 1
An important step is to monitor and research changes in sea levels and their impacts on ecosystems, investing in scientific projects and technologies aimed at monitoring sea levels. Preparedness for rising sea levels is essential as we are already in the almost inevitable point of sea level rise. Building sea defences and embankments will become part of life on the coast. Restore wetlands and mangroves that have the capacity to absorb excess water and significantly reduced CO2 in the atmosphere appear to be one of the few certain solutions for at least slowing down the process of increasing sea levels.
OPINION 2
Stop burning fossil fuels, which are the main source of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. This means ending the extraction and burning of oil, coal and natural gas. Instead, we must invest in renewable energy sources such as solar, nuclear and wind that are clean and sustainable, and replace traditional fuels with hydrogen, electric batteries, LNG, biofuels, etc.
Industrial sectors (energy, metals, metallurgy) and agribusiness are major polluters of the oceans and causes of climate change. At the same time, investment and interest should be prioritised in the protection and expansion of blue carbon zones, which absorb the most CO2 of all green spaces.
PLASTIC POLLUTION
Plastic pollution is a problem our planet is facing due to overproduction, overconsumption and inadequate plastic products. Plastics are extensively used extensively because of their durability, cheapness and versatility, but their longevity and resistance to decomposition lead to the accumulation of waste in the environment. This phenomenon is a consequence of human activity and has resulted in the pollution of oceans, rivers, forests and other. The purpose is to draw attention to the need to reduce the use of plastic products, improving their recycling and promoting alternative materials and packaging that are more environmentally friendly.
839 961 218 924
593 043 485
POUNDS POUNDS
Global annual production of plastic waste
60–95 %
WASTE
Plastic waste in the oceans out of total waste
50–75 BILION
Number of plastics and microplastics currently in the ocean 1 MILION
Number of seabirds that die each year as a result of plastic pollution
Plastic pollution floating on the ocean surface
33 %
Caught for human consumption contains some form of plastic contamination OF ALL FISH
Top 10 sources of ocean plastic waste in 2010
OPINION 1
Researchers are focusing on the development of new biodegradable plastics that could replace traditional plastic products. These materials should be able to degrade naturally and safely in the environment. Scientists are working to improve recycling and recovery processes of recycled plastics to produce new products, which could reduce the need for new raw materials and minimise waste.
OPINION 2
Bans on single-use plastics (straws, sachets, bags or cups) and the promotion of eco-friendly alternatives are a necessary step towards reducing plastic waste. We should give preference to products made from recycled and encourage innovation in packaging and packaging materials. Ban the use of microplastics in cosmetic products and cleaning products, as these microplastics are invisible killers that enter our waters and cause unimaginable damage to our ecosystem and ourselves.
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The sea, the great unifier, is the only hope of mankind. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat .
― Jacques-Yves Cousteau sailor, oceanographer, environmentalist
