There are all sorts of things that threat the state of the ocean. Toxic waste, gases and unmonitored activities in the ocean can really make the ocean dirty. Keeping the ocean clean is very crucial as it affects every single aspect of this world.
The 15 Importance of Keeping the Ocean Clean below will make you realise the great impacts the ocean has on everything. You’ll start to see why keeping the ocean clean is a big issue.
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1. Reduce Extreme Changes in Climate
The ocean actually keeps the climate quite stable for all these years. They are hugely responsible for warming up and cooling down the earth. A clean and healthy ocean will enable it to carry out its function properly. People can expect an extreme changes in climate when the ocean gets very dirty or polluted.
2. Filter Carbon Dioxide
The ocean absorbs most of the world’s carbon dioxide. The gas is filtered into the great depths of the clean ocean. This process can be disrupted if the ocean is too acidic due to pollutants. In turn, the world will lose one of its biggest filter for the carbon dioxide. More and more of it will be left in the atmosphere as nothing is absorbing it.
See also: Importance of Dissolved Gases in Ocean
3. Protect the Marine Wildlife
There are hundreds of marine wildlife species living freely in the ocean. Marine creatures can be very sensitive to their habitat. They need specific conditions in order to survive. A dirty ocean will only slowly kill them all. The marine wildlife rely on clean ocean so they can continue to flourish.
4. Source of People’s Livelihoods
Many people’s livelihoods come from the ocean. Fishermen, for instance, need fishes and other marine sources so that they can get their income. Unfortunately, this might have to stop if the ocean becomes unclean. As long as the ocean is clean, people can still have their jobs.
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5. Source of Food
Seafood is a favourite among a lot of people in the world. It’s a necessity to some as they might live closer to the coast. The cleaner the ocean is, the better the quality of the seafood that people will get. Nobody wants to eat seafood that has been infected with toxic pollutants, plastic or even virus.
6. Avoid Diseases
Dirty ocean can become the breeding place for diseases. This can either happen when people are out swimming in a polluted ocean or eat something from it. One of the most dangerous diseases comes from mercury poisoning. It can highly poison the human body and cause long term illnesses.
7. Source of Clean Water
In some parts of the world, it can be very difficult to get a source of clean water. The ocean becomes the solution to their problem. Desalination plants make it possible for people to have water that is safe for them to use. They are able to use the water for drinking or other necessary activities.
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8. Enjoyable Leisure Activities
Who would want to spend their time at dirty beaches and oceans? That would be no fun and also quite dangerous. Clean ocean make it easy for people to explore its ecosystem. They can safely swim and snorkel in the water. They might even find healthy marine creatures swimming alongside them too.
9. Lessen the Intensity of Natural Disasters
The ocean plays a part in causing natural disasters. There are numerous hurricanes or typhoons that are greatly influenced by the condition of the ocean. The dirtier the ocean is, the worst the natural disasters can be. Clean ocean can lessen the intensity of those disasters. That means more lives and homes can be saved.
10. Part of the Water Cycle
The ocean water is of course a part of the global water cycle. The rain that pours down are often formed through the evaporation of the ocean water. Imagine if the water is acidic and dirty. Everything on land will be ruined and damaged as the rain comes. People will get sick easily and vulnerable plants will die.
Read more: Movement of Ocean Water
11. Home of Undiscovered Species
The fact is that there is still so many undiscovered species in the ocean. For those species, the ocean is their only home. So there’s definitely a huge importance in maintaining its cleanliness. Healthy ocean will keep those species alive. In turn, researchers can still conduct their studies and find these unknown marine creatures.
12. Maintain Tourism
Tourism can also serve as a source of income and livelihood to people who live nearby the coast. The better the condition of the ocean is, the more likely it is to attract tourists. Nobody wants to come to a filthy place just to see dirty water and sand. Tourism is also a good place for educating people about the importance of keeping the ocean clean.
13. Keep Coral Reefs Alive
The coral reefs act like the forests of the ocean. They are the homes to the colourful marine creatures. Besides that, they keep the coastlines from getting damaged from strong waves. What coral reefs need is a healthy water so they can thrive. They are extremely susceptible to bleaching when the ocean water gets polluted or very warm.
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14. Enable Healthy Marine Ecosystem
Marine ecosystem is the web that keeps everything intact. It is the ecosystem where marine creatures interact with one another. Basically, they support the inner working of the ocean. Clean ocean enable healthy marine ecosystem. There will be less chance of creatures dying out if the ocean stays clean.
15. Avoid Extinction
Extinction is a huge concern when it comes to marine creatures. If one species is completely wiped out, then the entire ecosystem might be ruined. Every living marine creature is important as they have their own role in the ocean. Dirty ocean can increase the chances of marine creatures dying because it would be hard for them to survive.
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There are some important things that we can do to keep the ocean clean. We can start by reducing the use of plastic. Besides that, we can also minimise our carbon footprint and manage waste properly so they don’t end up in the ocean.