Brink: Pollution Destroys Ocean: video

This video described how the industrial revolution has caused a decline in coral reefs and an increase in the acidity of our oceans. The increase in organic chemicals come from the increase in factory produced fumes. These fumes affect many clams and shells within the coral reefs because it deprives them of calcium. Just like humans,calcium is needed to form strong bones. In extreme cases, the acidity of the waters cause deterioration of the shells and clams,which may eventually lead to extinction.

There are many ways to pitch in and help the cause. Use less water while brushing teeth and taking showers. Also contribute in local beach clean ups. In the end this is everyone's problem,so everyone should support and help the cause.

http://science.discovery.com/videos/brink-interviews-pollution-destroys-ocean.html

http://science.discovery.com/videos/brink-interviews-pollution-destroys-ocean.html. (n.d.).

                                                           The Faroe Islands
  There is a place in the Northern Atlantic oceans where nearly every year pilot whales are killed. The massacre usually occurs around July and August. The Faroe Islands are near Denmark and self governed. The Island inhabitants kill the whales for tradition,culture, and as a food source. These  creatures called Pilot "whales" are actually dolphins. The Faroese whale hunt is called the grind and its more than 1,200 years old. The men of the islands trap the pilot whales into a net  using several boats. Then they use tools to create noise and guide the whales towards the beach. Once the creatures are in shallow waters,the hunters begin to stab them using 16cm -19 cm knives. The slaughter in the Faroe Islands is very similar to the publicized slaughter in Japan. Due to the internet and social media,the slaughter in the Faroe Islands has finally been publicized as well. Not only are these people causing harm to the animals,they are also causing harm to themselves. The Pilot dolphins in the Northern Atlantic ocean carry toxins such as Mercury. The Mercury affects unborn fetuses the most. The majority of the Faroe Island population is offended by even the suggestion of putting a stop to their slaughter. They believe its a tradition that should not be broken. "The hunt is a barbaric medieval ritual,that has no place in the modern world" says Paul Watson.


Duignan, B. (n.d.). The faroe islands whale hunt. In Retrieved from http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2010/04/the-faroe-islands-whale-hunt/

       Acidic Test: The global challenge of ocean Acidification

The theory of global warming has been around for years, but we seem to rarely talk about the affect of it on our oceans. Global warming is causing excessive amounts of carbon dioxide to filter into the ocean,causing something called acidification to take place. It is filling our waters with acid,killing many species for good. The video also discussed animals in the ocean who use shells to protect themselves. They create their own shells by collecting certain molecules from the ocean,unfortunately these molecules are being depleted because of the acidification in the water.

If our society does not come up with alternative fuels quickly than our once beautiful oceans will be turned into ruins,made up of dead weeds. Frankly,I believe its selfishness. The world revolves around business and money. Those ocean creatures own this earth just as much as humans do and it isn't fair that we continuously destroy their homes day after day with no remorse;The consequences may unfortunately be soon to come.

Do you think the majority of society is naive about the theory of global warming?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cqCvcX7buo&feature=related

Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. Dir. NRDCflix. 2009. YouTube. Discovery Plant Green, 17 Sept. 2009. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cqCvcX7buo>.

                                      Climate Change
The article I read was about the affects on ocean animals from drastic climate changes.The article mostly addressed animals who live in cold climates such as seals,penguins,whales,and polar bears. Species of        Krill,plankton, and other creatures at the bottom of the food chain,live on ice bergs under the water's surface. These ice bergs are continuing to melt away because of high temperatures. The krill and plankton die along with the icebergs,  leaving the mammals without a source of food and resting spot.
    There are some people who say that the earth is at the point of no return,that we have done too much damage already. I believe that if we all really wanted to make a change, we could. Today is earth day,everyone should take pride in the beautiful earth that we are so fortunate to live on instead of watching it slowly deteriorate before our very eyes.
  Do you belive that the earth is at a point of no return?
Do you believe that Global warming is even occurring? Why or Why not?

New england aquarium. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/effects_on_ocean_animals.php

http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/effects_on_ocean_animals.php#penguins

HAPPY EARTH DAY! GO GREEN! :)

               Educational Journal

 The article I read was from a Journal of Marine Animals and Their Ecology. It talked about educating the public on conserving wild life. It also pondered if the education we are currently providing is being affective in leaving a positive impact.
   
There are many ways to educate society on wild life,whether it be watching a film or seeing the wild life live and in person. The world is made up of millions of different species of animals. Unfortunately,the human population destroys their habitats and forcefully pushes them out of there lands.  This causes them to be out of there element,desperately searching for food and shelter,and sometimes seeking it in our own back yards.
 
 Although we may not all be aware of it now; just losing one species of animal from the food chain,drastically affects the human race. In my opinion, in order to save our environment from destruction, Its imperative that we all have an open mind which is unattainable without being educated on our surroundings.
 What are some new ways to educate the public on the importance of conserving the environment?
Is education the only way to get people involved in the movement?

http://www.oers.ca/journal/volume4/issue2/Editorial_Galley.pdf

Dr Carin Wittnich, E. J. (2011). Conservation through education- will it work for marine mammals?. Retrieved from http://www.oers.ca/journal/volume4/issue2/Editorial_Galley.pdf

   The video I watched was about the disappearance and possible extinction of coral reefs and fish species. Climate change plays a big roll in this. A few degrees doesn't make a big difference in a fish's over all health,just like it doesn't make a huge difference in our health.  The ocean temperatures are getting up to 110 degrees,which is much more than a few degrees above their normal temperatures, and killing many fish. Twenty percent of coral reefs have died within the past fifty years. Almost twenty five percent of sea species depend on coral reefs to survive. Fishermen are also over fishing and factories ar eletting out fumes that are making the oceans acidic.
       I went paddle boarding the other day and witnessed the pollution myself. As I was paddling my way to the inter coastal,I prayed that I wouldn't fall in to the water because the water was so murky and brown! How could a living,breathing creature survive in such conditions? The video interviewed a fishermen who said that every year he wonders if there will be any fish left to fish. He also said "If humans were given there free hand,they would wipe everything out." This intrigued me because I found myself agreeing with him. Most people think about immediate out comes and how things will affect them at that very moment. Although I'm a strong believer in living in the present,I believe that preparing and looking towards the future is essential as well.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7370959n

Report: Marine life in imminent danger. (2011, June 22). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7370959n

                           Fish discovered in one of the plastic gyres,contaminated with confetti sized plastic.Picture found in the L.A. times report.

   Fish are eaten all over the world and are good for our bodies when they are raised properly. But how would people feel about biting in to a fish sandwich,knowing that the fish's body was filled with garbage.In southern California,researchers collected about 150 fish and discovered that one out of ten of them were contaminated with plastic. This plastic has gathered together in vast slow moving ocean currents know as gyres. The fish that are typically eating these plastics are smaller fish that humans usually don't eat. So then whats the problem? The problem is that bigger fish that people do eat are eating the smaller ones which contaminates their bodies and are eventually consumed by ours. Scientists also discovered that the fish that had plastic in them,had stomachs that were 9.2% percent filled with garbage and plastics shredded to the size of confetti. There our about five pods floating around the world of plastic in the sea. These pods are not small,not even the size of a small town,these pods are about the size of Texas. It would take years of determination and hard work to clean up the mess,even then,many people say its impossible. I want to know what we can do to solve this problem. Our environment is in severe danger and no one cares. Most everything is about money and selfishness. No one wants to spend the money to clean up the mess. Is everyone going to stop being selfish and pay attention to the problem when they realize that its not just the animals that are in danger,but humanity as well. Will they pay attention then?
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/02/local/la-me-garbage-patch-fish-20110701
 This morning I was watching the Sunday morning show and saw a very interesting piece that tied in with my topic and article,here is the link for that. 
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml
Barboza, T. (2011, July 02). Researchers find plastic in more than 9% of fish in northern pacific ocean. . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/02/local/la-me-garbage-patch-fish-20110701

      I recently read an article about pollution, too much fishing,and drastic climate change. This is all contributing  to many marine species in danger of going extinct. The danger is the worst it has ever been in human history. These types of changes that are currently happening weren't expected to happen until at least a few hundred years from now. Not only does this affect the poor creatures of the sea,but it affects the humans as well. How can we fish if there are no fish to catch? Carbon Dioxide levels are very high and if we dont get them back to Zero,our ocean will be very different from the ocean we know now. We seem to take the planet we live on for granted,people need to take pride in the lands where they live. If we dont begin to respect our surroundings,the consequences will be severe.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479

World's oceans in 'shocking' decline. (2011, june 20). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479

    Temperatures are rising everyday. Our country has experienced one of the warmest winters ever this year. How is the Marine life coping with these temperatures? Most scientists say that the ocean's climate rises three times slower than land but an article from http://www.oceanpowermagazine.net/2011/11/04/climate-shift-could-leave-some-marine-species-homeless/ contradicts this statement.
     http://www.oceanpowermagazine.net/2011/11/04/climate-shift-could-leave-some-marine-species-homeless/
         Marine species are having to speed up life events,such as breeding because of the quickly rising temperatures.They are thrown out of their usual routines.Even slight changes in temperature will cause marine species to have to move hundreds of kilometers to get into a comfortable zone. This could be detrimental for simpler organisms such as corals. Could  we help these animals survive,do we care? Is Global warming the cause of these drastic temperature  changes?
      
(2011, Nov 04). Retrieved from http://www.oceanpowermagazine.net/2011/11/04/climate-shift-could-leave-some-marine-species-homeless/

Essential Question

How have humans harmed the marine life environment and which marine species have been most affected by their treatment?