​ ONE WORLD ONE OCEAN The Adventures of Ed the Bear
CONSERVATION THREATS TO OCEANS
During his travels, Ed the Bear has visited many experts to learn more about the threats to the health of the ocean. He has also witnessed some of these threats first hand, building up his understanding as he travels and increasing his knowledge. Some of the major threats to oceans can be seen below.
Plastic pollution is probably the most visual danger marine wildlife faces. Most people encounter plastic litter on the beach, but its an even greater danger at sea. Plastic debris can be small and poisonous and many animals die from swallowing debris. Turtles die when they swallow plastic bags that look like their jellyfish food. Many marine animals and birds become entangled and die
PLASTIC POLLUTION
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is a very big and complex issue. We know the oceans have a key role in creating and controlling our climate. We also know that climate change can also happen as part of a natural cycle. Many scientists believe that human activities, (e.g. burning fossil fuels) are speeding up this change. While it is difficult to know how much of this change is natural and how much is man-made, we can measure the affects of climate on the oceans and its not good news.
Our oceans are getting warmer and this is causing other changes.
The polar ice is melting which is contributing to sea level rise. However, its not the only cause, water expands when it is warmed. This is called Thermal Expansion. So the oceans themselves are getting bigger, which is the cause of 50% of sea level rise so far.
Rising sea temperature is causing other problems too. Some coral reefs are dying when the water is becoming too warm for them. Special algae live in the body of the tiny coral animals which gives the coral its colour and shares food that helps the coral to build the big stony structures, in return for protection. These algae are often ejected when the coral is stressed.
​
Sea temperature rise is also affecting food chains as animals adjust their distribution to the changing temperature. In the north of the UK this has caused sea bird populations to crash. Cold water plankton is moving further north to escape the warmer water. Sand eels are following the plankton. Nesting sea birds cannot sustain the further distance to reach the sand eels and so they failed to successfully rear their chicks.
An increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing another problem. Oceans absorb carbon dioxide as part of a natural cycle. However this increase in carbon dioxide means the oceans are absorbing more carbon dioxide. It has now reached a level where it is affecting the chemistry of the ocean making it less alkali. This is called Ocean Acidification.
​
The main danger so far is that animals are finding it harder to build their shells, such as corals, crustaceans and molluscs. Study already suggests that it is affecting fish fry and some plankton that have a tiny shell.
If the level of carbon dioxide continues to rise, we will start to see animals shells dissolving.
​
Try putting a sea shell in a jar of vinegar (weak acid) and see what happens)
Rising sea temperatures
Ocean Acidification
While visiting the Hawaiian Islands Ed the Bear was gifted a leg ring band from an albatross chick, one of many that died from swallowing plastic debris​. Ed wears it as a neclace in rememberance of these beautiful seabirds.
Microplastics
Large bits of plastic degrade into smaller and smaller pieces and are ingesterd by marine life at difefernt stages of the food chain - even by plankton. Some cosmetics contain microbeads - tiny beads of plastic - used as an abrassive content of some toiletries and tooth pastes. These tiny beads of plastic are washed down the sink and out to sea. Even man made fibers from our cloters afre turning up in the bodies of marine animals.
Net entaglement Disposing of fishing line Plastic in the ocean ingesting marine debris
GREAT BRITISH BEACH CLEAN
Great British Beach Clean on Shoreham Beach local Nature reserve September 2016.
There are many other types of polution affecting marine life. The most visible is oil pollution that smother animals, is poisonous and destroys birds natural water proofing. There are many other chemicals, invisible to the naked eye. Some come from ships, others from industry and farming. Some are washed from the land or down drains and end up in the sea via rivers.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Being man made, some are absorbed by plastic debris and some tiny pieces of plastic can be a thousand times more poisonous that the surrounding water. Animals eat these pieces of plastic and the pollutants increase up through the food chain as the smaller animals are eaten by larger. These are eventually eaten by sea mammals, sea birds and even humans.
