STOP SHARK FINNING Why is overfishing a global concern? The problem of Overfishing We all love to eat fish, don’t we? It is the best source of protein and very healthy food in many ways. We also know where fish comes from—our oceans. Many decades ago, our oceans were full of fishes but unfortunately, this is not the case today. Our world today faces many complex issues ranging from pollution, climate change, wars, food crises, waste, over-population… and of course over-fishing. These are all problems we have created for ourselves, often as a result of our selfish activities. Overfishing particularly is one issue that is often underrated. By the end of this lesson, we will know how catastrophic overfishing is and how we are heading down a steep slope to a global disaster if we do not act quickly enough.
Overfishing -- National Geographic Ocean overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. The earliest overfishing occurred in the early 1800s when humans, seeking blubber for lamp oil, decimated the whale population. Some fish that we eat, including Atlantic cod and herring and California's sardines, were also harvested to the brink of extinction by the mid-1900s. Highly disruptive to the food chain, these isolated, regional depletions became global and catastrophic by the late 20th century. When It Started Marine scientists know when widespread overfishing of the seas began. In the mid-20th century, international efforts to increase the availability and affordability of protein-rich foods led to concerted government efforts to increase fishing capacity. But by 1989, when about 90 million tons (metric tons) of catch were taken from the ocean, the industry had hit its high-water mark, and yields have declined or stagnated ever since. When It Will End
Yahoo! Answers - Home UC Davis School of Vet Med: Oiled Wildlife Care Network: What Happens During an Oil Spill Recovery and Transportation - When there is an oil spill, specially trained workers go out and collect oiled wildlife. They wear protective clothing that keeps the oil off of their skin. Once they collect the oiled animals, they stabilize, or make sure they are not in immediate danger, then transport them to a medical facility for care. Intake – When the oiled animals get to the medical facility they go through intake, which is a full physical exam, just like you get when you go to the doctor. Workers will check their temperature, how much they weigh, whether they look healthy, and how much oil is on them. Stabilization – After the oiled animals have gone through intake, they are stabilized. Cleaning – This is the step where the oiled animals are finally washed. Pre-release Conditioning – Conditioning a cleaned bird usually takes 3 to 5 days, but can take much longer if the animal had injuries or wounds.
Seahorses, Seahorse Pictures, Seahorse Facts Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young. Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long. Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They anchor themselves with their prehensile tails to sea grasses and corals, using their elongated snouts to suck in plankton and small crustaceans that drift by. Population data for most of the world’s 35 seahorse species is sparse.
The Dirty Truth About Plastic BPA, in turn, is becoming this year’s poster child for all our doubts and fears about the safety of plastic. New research highlighting the possible dangers of BPA has received tremendous media coverage. In mice, at least, BPA exposure at crucial stages of development induces observable changes (such as breast or prostate abnormalities) that last a lifetime. What is not known is whether infants and children under 6 are even more heavily exposed, since they have not yet been studied (for phthalates, Swan says, levels are definitely higher in children than in adults). To shift public understanding on this issue is staggeringly difficult, especially given that exposure to plastic is not a matter of individual lifestyle. Two weeks after the report came out, an NIH panel came to a different conclusion: Although public exposure to BPA could pose some risk to the brain development of babies and children, there was “negligible concern” about reproductive effects in adults.
Marine biology Only 29 percent of the world surface is land. The rest is ocean, home to the marine lifeforms. The oceans average nearly four kilometres in depth and are fringed with coastlines that run for 360,000 kilometres.[1][2] A large proportion of all life on Earth exists in the ocean. Exactly how large the proportion is unknown, since many ocean species are still to be discovered. The ocean is a complex three-dimensional world[3] covering about 71% of the Earth's surface. Marine life is a vast resource, providing food, medicine, and raw materials, in addition to helping to support recreation and tourism all over the world. Many species are economically important to humans, including food fish (both finfish and shellfish). History[edit] The observations made in the first studies of marine biology fueled the age of discovery and exploration that followed. Subfields[edit] The marine ecosystem is large, and thus there are many sub-fields of marine biology. Related fields[edit] Animals[edit] Birds[edit]
Marine problems: Pollution Seas of garbage Solid garbage also makes its way to the ocean. Plastic bags, balloons, glass bottles, shoes, packaging material – if not disposed of correctly, almost everything we throw away can reach the sea. Plastic garbage, which decomposes very slowly, is often mistaken for food by marine animals. This garbage can also come back to shore, where it pollutes beaches and other coastal habitats. Sewage disposal In many parts of the world, sewage flows untreated, or under-treated, into the ocean. This sewage can also lead to eutrophication. Toxic chemicals Almost every marine organism, from the tiniest plankton to whales and polar bears, is contaminated with man-made chemicals, such as pesticides and chemicals used in common consumer products. Some of these chemicals enter the sea through deliberate dumping. Chemicals also enter the sea from land-based activities. People once assumed that the ocean was so large that all pollutants would be diluted and dispersed to safe levels.