SPACER We all understand that our oceans are vital; taking up most of our entire Earth and containing so many unique marine species, the oceans provide an incredibly diverse and important ecosystem that in the long term will affect everyone. We all understand that pollution is an issue that is increasing every day, and every hour, and know that climate change is damaging our planet near-irreversibly. But why does it matter so much? SPACER 1. 70% of our entire Earth is made up of the ocean. Most of our Earth is made up of the ocean, which means that our oceans also produce about 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere,…

Coral reefs, referred to as the “rainforests of the sea”, are incredibly diverse and important structures for marine life. Providing food, safety and shelter for nearly 4,000 species of fish and 800 species of hard corals (among hundreds of other species), these coral reefs house millions of organisms and boast an incredibly diverse repertoire. In fact, 25% of marine life rely on reefs for their survival, as fish tend to use these natural formations to raise their young (NOAA Website). A majority of new cancer drug research focuses on marine organisms that are found on these coral reefs; these organisms produce chemicals that have been used prior in treatments for…

SPACER Parts of the ocean is naturally acidic- our ocean has been absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide), and using it to feed algae and cyanobacteria which are responsible for providing oxygen. This is a common, natural process that has existed for years, and is Earth’s way of regulating it’s atmosphere. This would be a nonissue, if not for the fact that there is too much carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere now, and while the ocean is still absorbing the CO2, there’s too much for it to handle. What’s supposed to be used to feed algae is now killing them faster than they’re able to produce oxygen. SPACER…