Sea conservation is the act of preserving the quality of the seas and the ecological systems within them. Although it typically refers to conserving ocean resources and life, it can also include protecting smaller seas and even in-land freshwater sources. Conserving these resources is very important to maintaining a sound ecological environment throughout the world.
Numerous factors affect the quality of the seas, most of which are related to human activities. Ships frequently dump waste products and trash into the ocean, which can lead to severe pollution. Fishing boats can deplete the population of a species in an area, throwing off the delicate balance of the food chain. Accidental oil spills can devastate an entire region and destroy the ecological balance within that area. Sea conservation organizations attempt to rectify these problems before they become an even more serious issue.
Toxic chemicals that make their way into the ocean and freshwater sources are not only dangerous to the marine life, but to humans as well. The majority of the fish that people consume is caught in the wild, where the toxins have a direct effect on them. Heavy metals such as mercury stay in the fish’s system and are passed on to those who eat them. Heavy metal toxicity is extremely dangerous and can result in death if not treated early enough. Sea conservation efforts attempt to keep toxic chemicals out of the water so that those chemicals cannot be passed down to humans.
Another important aspect of sea conservation is preserving the balance of an ecological system. An imbalance in the oceans and seas can cause serious ramifications throughout the world. The food chain relies on predators and prey to keep the system in balance. If one species’ predator disappears, that species can grow out of control, which can in turn create a shortage of their prey. Eventually, this cycle can lead to starvation and extinction of all species involved in the chain, which can lead to a lack of food for the human population that relies on fishing in that region.
Cleaning up accidental environmental disasters, such as oil spills, is an important part of sea conservation. When an accident occurs, teams of researchers and volunteers must act quickly to clean the surrounding area and preserve the life of the fish and animals that live there. As with toxic chemical dumping, oil spills can destroy the edibility of a food source in the affected region, which can lead to economic devastation among the people who rely on the ocean for their income.