The ocean: an endless blue horizon. On the surface, there is an empty plane of no relevance. But under this surface is a world full of color and life. It is a society being broken down by a major factor: us. Humans do not care of what importance the ocean brings and use it for their own needs. They damage this world to this day, destroying beauty and necessity.

Human ignorance is endless towards the ocean. For one, pollution destroys the ecosystem of the underwater world. Harmful waste, such as garbage and chemicals, ends up in the ocean and pollutes the water, providing an unsanitary environment for the living residents of the ocean. Corals are affected by the constant human activity. They will perish and will be capable to provide other living species with a safe habitat. The habitat loss and pollution then affect sea creatures such as fish, sharks, rays etc. Once one species dies out, the next species lose their food source and also die out. Thus, a whole ecosystem crumbles by one factor. Commercial fishing is a major factor that eliminates one species which harms another. Once mass amounts of fish are taken by commercial fishing boats, the predators that need the fish starve and die out.

Human actions are constant, and they affect the ocean to this day. If an ecosystem was to vanish as a whole, many deadly effects follow. For one, the ocean provides half of the oxygen people breathe. It makes up 97% of the world’s habitat. Oceans also provide a sixth of the animal protein people eat. These protein sources are the most promising source of new medicines to combat cancer, pain, and bacterial diseases. Living oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce the impact of climate change. Without such necessities the ocean provides, the world would be a very difficult place to live in. Commercial fishing may be a factor that topples the ecosystem, but it also contributes to low food source for people as well. If fish were to vanish from overfishing, people would have lost an adequate food source from their diet, resulting in lack of nutrients people may need. Thus, the oceans serve the world with great importance and without them, the world is in trouble.

In order to prevent such negative consequences, there are ways people can support conservation. For one, joining organizations and/or donating to Green Peace, Oceana, WWF, and other conservation programs will help in the fight for protecting the environment. Conserving energy at home on a daily basis prevents pollution and climate change. Some of the things one can do for this are turning off lights when they are not needed and converting to solar power usage. Restaurants can follow sustainable seafood guidelines when they choose what will be on the menu next. Also, people should be careful of where they place their trash. It can make its way to the ocean, polluting the sea and potentially endangering sea life. By following such steps, society as a whole can make a change to protect the world’s oceans for a better future

<Christopher Kim Chatsworth Charter High 10th Grade>