Martha Saunders is a professor at the University of West Florida, who also works as a community volunteer, and is a contributor to various publications in her field. On top of this, Martha embodies a deep passion for the world’s oceans and is on a mission to raise awareness about ocean health, inspiring others to join the cause. In the following article, Martha Dunagin Saunders uncovers the vital work caring for these waters involves, as well as the urgent need to protect and restore our fragile underwater world.
Humans may live on land, but our species could never survive without the planet’s oceans and the aquatic life it sustains. But what makes our oceans so important?
Oceans play a critical role in maintaining our planet’s ecosystems, regulating on-land temperatures, and supplying oxygen. They are also an important source of affordable and nutritious food worldwide. Directly or indirectly, every sector of the human economy depends on ocean-based resources, transportation, travel, and tourism.
Martha Dunagin Saunders observes that amidst our mounting plastic waste, devastating oil spills, unsustainable overfishing practices, and environmentally detrimental habits such as deep-sea mining, our actions betray a lack of reverence for the oceanic realm. Below is an examination of the multitude of invaluable gifts bestowed upon us by the oceans. Furthermore, Martha dives into the imperative task of nurturing and safeguarding these life-sustaining waters, recognizing the interdependence between our own existence and the well-being of our aquatic ecosystems.
Martha Dunagin Saunders Explains that the Oceans Regulate Earth’s Surface Conditions
Although most people are generally aware of the changing climate, few take the time to explore why it occurs. The planet’s rising temperatures, shifting seasons, and more frequent natural disasters in fact, stem from ecological actions that impact our oceans.
Martha Saunders of the University of West Florida explains that the oceans play a vital role in temperature regulation by carrying heat from the equator toward the poles. Since the Industrial Revolution, the global rise in greenhouse gasses has continued to trap dangerous levels of heat in the atmosphere, which the ocean then distributes across the earth’s surface.
The oceans have absorbed 20-30% of these harmful emissions, but they can’t save us from ourselves, especially as we continue depleting the ecosystems they sustain by overfishing, destroying coastlines, killing coral reefs and polluting their waters.
Oceans and Human Nutrition
Martha Saunders of the University of West Florida says that across history and throughout the world, the sea has always been one of the most important suppliers of human nutrition. In addition to being a relatively affordable source of protein, seafood is rich in key vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin B12 and Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be difficult to find in other dietary staples.
When it comes to food, the ocean is rich in both quantity and variety. On the pricier side of the scale, lobster, salmon, and caviar are often served at formal events. As for more common dishes, “fish and chips” is an iconic casual meal in England and Australia and fish is also used in cultural and regional specialties throughout the world.
Even those who don’t consume animal products likely consume ocean-growing seaweed either as food or as a key ingredient in many vegan-friendly dietary supplements.
Martha Dunagin Saunders notes that given the ecological damage caused by raising, processing and transporting livestock, the ocean may take on a new significance as we struggle to feed a rapidly increasing human population. When sourced responsibly, seafood is often a far more sustainable and health-promoting protein choice than other meat and dairy products.
Oceans and the Economy
Every sector of our economy depends, to some degree, on the ocean. In some industries, the connection is obvious. Take tourism, for example. Over 50% of the world’s tourism involves coastal and marine activities.
Martha Dunagin Saunders says that while cruises, beach-going, snorkeling, surfing, scuba diving and boating may be some of the first activities that come to mind, even making it a priority to try local specialties such as Spanish paella, Japanese sushi and Australian “shrimp on the barbie” depend on the ocean.
Economies in even the most land-locked locations are often kept afloat by the ocean, which is used for transporting most consumer goods, raw materials and imported foods. Research teams, engineers and medical practitioners also may rely heavily on the ocean for work, not to mention most retailers.
Ways to Protect and Respect Our Oceans
As is often the case, the first step in problem resolution is identifying the problem and acknowledging the need to change. Many online resources explain environmental dilemmas and steps we can take to care for our planet, but it is up to us as consumers, travelers, and citizens to put these steps into action.
Here are a few of the simplest ways we can reduce our carbon footprint:
- Decrease personal transportation emissions by using the car less frequently and searching for opportunities to carpool.
- Repair home insulation damage and wear sweaters indoors during the colder months to reduce the amount of energy required for heating.
- Be mindful when buying clothes and luxury items and consider both shopping at and donating to thrift stores.
- Avoid replacing items that can be repaired and throwing away things that can be recycled.
- Minimize the use of plastics.
- Eat locally sourced foods whenever possible.
Raising Awareness and Pushing for Action
Martha Dunagin Saunders explains that while people don’t intend to harm the planet, many don’t think about their actions’ potential repercussions. On an individual scale, educating friends, family members and colleagues about the need to step up our efforts to protect the planet is a simple way to bring more hands-on deck while working for change.
Although big changes often start small and every individual effort counts, protecting our oceans will take more than a few people making small adjustments. Addressing the problem more fully will require local, state, national and international organizations, and governments to make ocean protection a top priority.
Until governments create legal penalties for industries that continue their ecologically harmful actions, change is likely to move slowly, allowing this global crisis to fester and grow. Petitioning for change and voting for representatives who favor environmental protection can help take protecting our oceans off the political backburner and make them a global priority.
Conclusion
From food and water to climate stability to industrial production to transport and travel and far beyond, our lives depend heavily on the health of the world’s oceans.
Martha Saunders of the University of West Florida says that with environmental crises continuing to grow, it is our responsibility as world citizens to alter our destructive behaviors and shift our priorities to reduce our emissions, resource consumption and waste while also encouraging others to do the same. Fixing this global crisis will require global participation, and the sooner we can take action, the better.
