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Davis Jantzi

Ms. Schwada

AP Literature and Composition

February 13, 2007

The Ocean’s Future: Our Fault, Our Demise

It stretches to the end of the horizon while lapping at our feet with soothing waves. With

the poise to reflect the heavens and the power to rip boats to tinsel, the ocean plays a critical role

in the Earth’s ecosystem. The overuse of its resources, unregulated waste management, and

many other ways in which we have abused this natural resource are reasons for a need for

change. Unless we acknowledge the devastating effects of our current actions and make efforts

to improve them, we are foreshadowing the most devastating unnatural disaster in the world’s

history. Understanding the situation is only half of the cure; the other rests in the hands of those

who choose to act. In order to act on issues of this magnitude, it is necessary to understand our

ocean and why we are dependent on its fate.

The ocean covers over seventy one percent of the Earth’s surface and contains ninety

eight percent of all water on Earth. Many of the basic essential services it provides are easy to

take for granted (Panda 1). Starting with the most basic element to human activity, water is in

great abundance at this time, but it is being shown that humans cannot run from their previous

actions forever (5). The next most important element needed for all life on Earth is oxygen.

Contrary to popular belief, over sixty percent of the air we breathe is the product of tiny marine

animals, known as phytoplankton (3). These tiny creatures take carbon dioxide, which is known

to degenerate the ozone layer, and convert it back into healthy, breathable air (3). Studies

performed by scientists from around the world showed that, on average, a human has used the

byproducts of nearly forty-eight marine animals from waking up until going

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to bed, all of which were killed to provide these benefits (4).

The dependency of human life on the ocean is being reinforced every day by new

research done by scientists who have dedicated their life to making this issue public (Panda 4).

The practice of overfishing is a problem which needs to be addressed immediately. Harvesting

fish as food supports over one third of the world’s population; these people are dependent on the

sea for their livelihoods as well as their income to barely survive. In China alone, studies have

estimated that nearly one and a half billion citizens rely on fish as their primary source of

protein. This information raises moral questions such as which path to take: one path will lead to

a healthier Earth; the other path will bring about the death of nearly one third of the human

population (UN 10).

Although this information has hit the press with shock and power, the fishing industry

continues to expand and grow at a rate faster than any other industry. The issue is a problem

which has been discussed and analyzed, but without action, talking around a table has never, and

will never change anything (UN 10). These recent articles and journals have shed light on the

theory of sustainable fishing, which is the regulation of the supply generated by the fishing

industry, to match the statistics of current demand (Panda 2). This would prevent large-scale

surplus or shortages for the industry, ultimately benefiting everything from the environment to

the consumers who buy an ocean product or byproduct for dinner (2). In the end, regulations can

only be created and enforced with money. This money comes from the revenue of the ocean, and

without revenue, the question remains as to how the regulations will be enforced (Day 179).

The destruction of many marine habitats also can be attributed to the fishing industry.

The method of trawling is simple, cheap, and more destructive than some fishermen would like

to admit. Trawling is the act of dragging heavy nets bound to weights across the ocean floor.

This method is used for expensive bottom-fish which are caught by the thousands (Day 164).
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The setback to this method involves where these fish live, which usually tends to be reefs and

other natural habitats in the ocean. As the heavy weights are dragged along the bottom, coral

reefs are shattered to pieces, resulting in the loss of a safe habitat for a fragile aquatic ecosystem.

Many of these reefs are estimated to be over one hundred thousand years old and still act as a

thriving refuge for nearly half of the ocean’s documented species. This discovery was made

many years after the development of this type of fishing. As a result, the damaging effects can be

seen in most coastal regions of the world today (165).

The Indo-Asiatic fishermen in particular have demonstrated their ability to destroy

natural wonders. Offshore, many reefs are lifeless organisms and habitats. This is a result of a

leap in value of many fish which thrive in these off shore sanctuaries. Chinese and Japanese

fisherman alike have discovered the potency of cyanide, a chemical flushed into large reefs used

to kill expensive fish, some worth nearly one hundred dollars per ounce (Panda 6). Cyanide is a

classified poison, which means the sole function for its creation is to kill everything that breathes

and swallows it. As a result, the reefs, including all of the inhabitants, and the birds, which thrive

on these organisms, have been killed in great numbers. The reefs where cyanide has been used

are now sterile, because the have been exposed to a hazardous poison which will prevent future

growth and colonization for years to come (Safina 41).

Another issue in the fishing industry would be the alarming number of arrests and

lawsuits started by illegal fishing. One such industry is known as the pirate fishing industry, in

which well trained professionals dive waters late in the night to spear valuable groupers, some

amounting to the size of cars. Although this problem is not an issue in the United States, African

authorities have had a hard time competing with the demand for a high rolling salary and the

availability of “swimming money” (White 116).

One recent study has received great public attention due to the blame it lays upon humans
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for destroying the ocean. The article gave clear reference to information, which stated that

seafood would no longer exist legally within the next fifty years unless drastic and immediate

steps are taken to reverse this long and painful process (Panda 1). In study after study, it has

become more and more obvious that the creation and management of Marine Protected Areas,

(MPAs), is the best tool man can use to battle past mistakes. Although it is not the answer to the

ocean’s problems, it represents the most valuable asset humans can use against problems

afflicting the ecology of the world’s oceans (White 117). An editor for World Wildlife Fund

(WWF) boldly took a stance against this issue when he said:

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is an enormous problem. It occurs in

virtually all fisheries and is estimated to account for nearly thirty percent of all

fish caught. It is considered an organized crime; which is purely based on

demand, not supply. It is professionally coordinated, and truly global, which is

why it is considered a world dilemma. (Panda 1).

Several steps can be pursued to end this growing problem before it consumes the

economic and physical stability of the human race. MPAs have frequently experienced poor

management and regulation. Regulation of these marine areas has recently increased in

regulation, leading to significantly improved statistics. On average, these areas were documented

to have ninety two percent more fish, with a density of ninety one percent more organisms for a

given radius. These amazing results are followed by the question of why the oceanic ecosystems

are failing. The answer to this question is that although these areas are proven to have improved

results, only five-thousandths of the world’s oceans are regulated on a weekly basis (White 113).

These waters also provide scientists with the opportunity to look at clean ocean habitats and

document the immediate and long-term effects of the human species on ocean ecology.

Hopefully, this new research will expose the harsh truth of how endangered the oceans are
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(White 114). David White emphasized the magnitude of the need for designated MPAs when he

said: “I believe we have not only the chance, but the obligation to restore the former natural

abundance of our seas. I also believe we will never accomplish this unless we move forward

decisively with MPAs, no-take reserves, and ocean wilderness” (114).

Although many of the problems faced by our oceans can be directly linked to human

actions, there are in fact some cases in which an industry has deliberately gone out of their way

to pollute the ocean, usually with some economic benefit. The transportation industry’s

reputation has recently grown to be regarded as illegal, dishonest, and merciless for their terrible

business deals and actions (Schmidt 77). The leading contributor and conspiring business is

Royal Caribbean Cruises, RCC. RCC had previously been charged with over two hundred

accounts of illegal dumping; many of these were repeat offenses. Regarding the politics of the

situation, it became apparent that there were many holes in previously established laws, and a

revision was overdue. In a detailed study, it was reported that over ninety percent of the bilge,

including black and gray water, was being illegally dumped over international waters. As an

estimate, statistics show that a one-week voyage generates over eight tons of garbage and over

two million gallons of human waste, hazardous wastes and cleaning detergents. The Clean Water

Act, which regulates the pollution caused by the transportation industry, had placed a quota on

the amount of disposable waste at seventy five percent (78). By law, RCC had not violated the

law by a punishable amount, which brought about the need for a reformation.

The Clean Water Act had been established before the final design had come out for this

mega-cruise ship, and had set the quota at the designated seventy five percent, which was a

reasonable amount given the transportation systems at that time (Schmidt 78). Over the course of

ten years, this seventy five percent quota had shrunk to one third of its original meaning: this is

true, if the law is obeyed, which is often not the case (79). This act was later compared to “a
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license to pollute”, and was heavily criticized by wildlife organizations (78). In a haunting

investigation, one of the most disturbing conspiracies was discovered to have infiltrated every

level of the oceanic transportation business. A thorough inspection revealed hundreds of meters

of secret pipelines and separate storage tanks which were set to disperse the contents over

extensive areas quickly enough to empty the contents before docking, and slowly enough to go

undetected for several years. Royal Caribbean Cruises publicly admitted to this atrocity, and was

fined three hundred million dollars, which was less than half the cost it would have taken to

install these pipes and storage tanks in every boat produced (78). The worst part of this issue is

that it continues to this day, because although the industry had been caught and had pleaded

guilty, they had signed patent information in the fine lines of contracts which made the use and

existence of these tanks completely legal (Schmidt 79). The future of this business and others

like it will truly depend on their ability to cooperate with regulations and their future integrity to

preserve the ocean. RCC has already demonstrated the level to which corporations will go to

save mere pennies (80).

The United States government has legally contested these issues regarding the

transportation industry, especially when considering tests they have run in open water (LaBudde

177). However, this complaint by was an anomaly. Although investigations of the government

are not only nearly impossible, but are also a federal offense; all allegations made against the

government and undercover operations are likely to be denied and regarded as uneducated

accusations (178). One instance however, was not only a coincidence, but also a huge break for

scientists and wildlife organizations alike. In 2002, the Navy ran a test on a new sonar device

that would be able to pinpoint an enemy sub at a given depth and distance by emitting low

frequency sound waves, which carry over for several miles. This was called the Surveillance

Towed Array Sonar System, Low Frequency Active (LFA) (178). Throughout the test site, a
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group of whale researchers were surprised that the whales they were studying had stopped

singing, and the tone was replaced by a much larger resonation with a deeper amplitude (179).

By the time the test was complete, the scientists realized that the gray whales had altered their

migration route by one hundred and twenty degrees, and several pairs of sperm whale mothers

and their calves had been separated by distances as much as one and a half kilometers (178). This

was clearly an undercover test done without regard to neither oceanic aquaculture nor the

mammals which rely on these sounds to guide them and keep them together as a pod (179).

Human influence, along with industrial expansion have always been a detriment to the

ocean’s health, the worst part to this cycle is that even the necessary actions taken by industries

have severe impacts on ocean quality. The petroleum industry is a leading cause of oceanic

pollution as well as an unnecessary expenditure to the taxpayers for the cleanup of oily beaches

(Gunn 45). Of all oil spills, two stand out as the most devastating events in the history of the

ocean, which continue to plague the coasts; they are the Amaco Cadiz spill off the coast of

France, and the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska (40). On March 17, 1978, the Amaco Cadiz, a

tanker laden with two hundred and twenty three thousand tons of oil, pulled into a wave and

sank, expelling the hazardous contents into the sea. The oil covered a total of over two hundred

square miles along the coast of Brittany, France, in a thick crude oil slick, which also was

absorbed into the sand (46). The French government subsidized an expedition to journal the

extent of the damage done to the coastline. The results were far from comforting. In a study done

on three square miles of coast, scientists found thirty three million dead marine animals, which

was thought to be only sixty five percent of the damage in the area (47). After the findings were

published, the conclusion was out; for the two hundred miles of polluted coastline, an estimated

number of nearly three and a half billion animals had been killed. The total cost was set at over

three billion dollars and still continues to rise. The lasting effects of this spill are still seen in the
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French federal budget, which allocates an average of half a million dollars per year (47).

Valdez, Alaska was a hotspot for the petroleum industry when Exxon built an eight

hundred-mile pipeline in order to accommodate longer shipping seasons with a mildly warmer

climate (Gunn 50). The surrounding area is full of oceanic life and always has been rocky with

shallow trenches. On March 24, 1989, a tanker with a newly supplied load lost control against

the strong current and crashed into the rocks (52). The oil covered over one hundred and eighty

two square miles with a devastating effect on marine mammals and birds (51). At this time, an

estimated thirty thousand otters remained in the wild. After the spill, over five thousand washed

up on shore, their lungs filled with oil residue (52). Among other animals severely impacted

were killer whales, harbor seals, and marbled mullets, which play an important role in the

ecosystem (54). Carl Safina, in an article published in several magazines had this to say about the

sea:

The oceans remain the great frontiers of Earth, offering scientific mysteries and

compelling opportunities in super abundance. But the end of a long era of

mythical limitlessness and ideological freedom in the sea is upon us. This may

seem a tragedy of sorts, but coming to grips with reality is always liberating in

the end. (Safina 44)

Through the loss of the oceanic ecology through oil spills, transportation pollution,

government cover-ups, and the effects of overfishing, one can see how truly mortal our ocean is.

Through further investigation and awareness, we will hopefully grasp how important the ocean is

to us before it is too late. Jacques Cousteau, father of Self-Contained Underwater Breathing

Apparatus (SCUBA) and advocate for oceanic preservation, set the moral limitation of our

actions when he said: “No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can

begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. And no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums
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or one of those marine lands can be considered normal” (Cousteau 1).

The truth of our abuse of this valuable resource will be prodded and measured until there

is nothing left, and when that time comes, we will surely understand that sitting around tables

discussing, promising, and addressing the problem will never help. The only thing that will save

our ocean, and the people who rely on it, is the restriction of the government, as well as the

transportation and fishing industries’ overuse and abuse of resources. The ocean is dying, it is

our fault, and ultimately, our own demise.