Protecting marine life
Protecting marine life help those who live right on the coastline will have the most direct impact on the ocean but even if you live far inland, there are many things you can do. The ocean is downstream of everything, so all of our actions, no matter where we live, affect the ocean and the marine life it holds.
Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? That is a name coined to describe the huge amounts of plastic bits and other marine debris floating in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, one of five major ocean gyres in the world. Sadly, all the gyres seem to have their own garbage patch. When it comes to protect marine life, usage of plastic is a big hindrance.
What is the problem? Plastic stays around for hundreds of years can be a hazard to wildlife and leaches toxins into the environment. What’s the solution? Stop using so much plastic. Buy things with less packaging, don’t use disposable items and use reusable bags instead of plastic ones wherever possible. That will help protect marine life.
Our food choices have a huge impact on the environment — from the actual items we eat to the way they are harvested, processed and shipped. Going vegan is better for the environment but you can take small steps in the right direction by eating eco-friendly fish and eating local as much as possible in order to protect marine life. If you eat seafood, eat fish that is harvested in a sustainable way, which means eating species that have a healthy population and whose harvest minimizes by catch and impacts on the environment.
Along with the tip above, in order to protect marine life reduce your energy consumption and carbon output wherever possible. This includes simple things like turning off the lights or TV when you’re not in a room and driving in a way that increases your fuel efficiency. As Amy, one of our 11-year old readers said, “It might sound strange, but being energy efficient helps the Arctic marine mammals and fish because the less energy you use the less our climate heats up — then the ice won’t melt.”
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