Why do we know so little about the ocean and marine creatures?
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Life in ocean began 3.1~ 3.4 billion years ago while land
dwellers appeared around 400 million years ago |
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The ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface and holds
97% of planet’s water |
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The ocean produces more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere
and absorbs most of the carbon from our atmosphere |
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| 50-80% of all life on Earth is found under the ocean surface |
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| Currently, there are at least 199,146 known marine species |
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...but there may be at least 750,000 and to as many as
25 million marine species yet to be discovered |
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| Humans have only explored less than 10% of the ocean |
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| Unfortunately, the ocean faces many anthropogenic problems |
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...such as overharvesting, pollution, climate change
and lack of Marine Protected Areas |
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This leads to decrease in biodiversity and the degradation
of marine habitats and species |
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Three times as much waste is dumped into oceans
as weight of fish is caught every year |
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By destroying the ocean environment,
we are also compromising human health and safety |
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It is estimated that over 3 billion people depend on marine
and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods |
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We need to change the way we interact with the ocean
and how we use its resources |
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We need to protect the diverse species and
habitats that exist in the ocean |
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About a quarter of the world's anthropogenic CO2 emissions
are sequestered by ocean carbon dioxide uptake |
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Acidification of the ocean is a result of CO2 uptake,
which could have a severe influence on marine life |
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As a result of the global energy imbalance created by greenhouse warming,
the oceans are the Earth's largest heat storage facility.
Ocean surface temperatures rise due to the heat absorbed by the ocean |
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| Yes, the ocean is indeed getting warmer.
According to numerous studies and reports, including those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ocean temperatures have increased since the mid-20th century, and ocean warming has also been accelerating in recent years. |
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References
Marinebio. 2012. Little Known Facts About The Ocean. MarineBio Conservation Society. Accessed March 27, 2014. http://marinebio.org/marinebio/facts/index.asp.
ProtectPlanetOcean. 2010. Why are oceans important? International Union for Conservation of Nature. Accessed March 27, 2014. http://www.protectplanetocean.org/collections/introduction/introbox/oceans/introduction-item.html. |
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naoko art ・Lake Stevens, WA, U.S. |
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