Open+Ocean+Conservation



=__ !Welcome to Fatima and Emma's Conservation Page! __   Humans have a large impact on the world's environments; these impacts can be negative or in some cases positive. Even though we don't think about it much, the ocean as we speak is being littered and damaged in all sorts of ways. Boats, with the help of their engines, pollute and even kill marine life and habitats with dangerous chemicals found in the engine. Global warming is also making the oceans too warm for some species and their numbers are decreasing. But, like I said earlier, not all the things we do are bad towards an environment. Take scientists for example, they actually preserve areas in the oceans, just like land can be preserved as a state park. Either way, we effect an area based on what we do each and every day.   Even when people are just doing their job, they tend to harm an ecosystem. Just like fisheries or whalers, they are just doing their job, and yet they are depriving the ocean greatly. Whales are becoming endangered, and more and more valuable, making people want to fish them in even more. And sometimes, people fish in things on accident, like dolphins, making their species decrease as well. So what can we do about this? Well, scientists actually protect species, endangered or not, saving thousands of species of marine life. In some countries whaling is even against the law! By doing this, people can make up for what they have damaged. Not all the time though this damage is done purposely or with us knowing, sometimes we don't intend to hurt an ecosystem but we do. Like if a ship with barrels and barrels of oil sank, the ecosystem in that ocean is greatly damaged, but yet they did not mean it. The oil damages and even kills many fish, and to make matters worse, the oil accumulates at the bottom the ocean, leaving a thick layer of 'goop' behind. Ocean floor animals, such as snails or starfish are greatly affected by this. Another way oil gets into the ocean is through rivers and other bodies of water connected in some way to the ocean. Did you know that 36% of the oil in the worlds oceans comes from rivers that are connected to cities and industries. It is true that the ocean every now and then can produce oil but it doesn't harm it like these huge spills do. Once there was a ship carrying millions of barrels of oil that spilled. But besides oil, we dump things like fertilizers, solid garbage and toxic chemicals all into the oceans. Fertilizers kill fish and other small marine life, while the solid garbage can actually kill a whale! In fact there have been reports of whales and other large and small marine animals choking on things like plastic bags or six ring soda holders. Even with all this, the toxic chemicals and many other things still have a turn in this. Chemicals, such as mercury, can severely injure and even kill an animal. We deal with these problems by cleaning our oceans. Despite how long it takes, people can be held responsible for cleaning oil spills. Also, in preserved areas, none of these things are allowed, keeping those areas safe. Not to mention that people like you go out and clean the shores of the oceans, and it may seem like a small thing but you are not alone. = = __ !Try To Keep The Oceans And The Animals Who Live There Healthy And Clean! __ =

Links...

Click here for Open Ocean Home

Click here for Open Ocean Fact

Click here for Open Ocean Bibliography

Click here for Open Ocean Fiction

Click here for Open Ocean Food Web

Click here for Biomes Home