Our toolkits dive into general and more specific aspects of our oceans and how climate change and humans are affecting them. They are made to help you understand new topics as well as give you ideas of how you can make a positive environmental impact.
Oceans make up 70 percent of our earth and need us now more than ever. Our most critical ecosystems are being severely damaged by climate and the repercussions will be felt by humans and wildlife for generations to come. Our goal is to bring more people together to save our oceans by bringing awareness to the damages humans cause. We partner with global non-profits and rotary clubs to create projects aimed at restoring ecosystems, increasing biodiversity, and educating the public.Â
Importance of Oceans
- The ocean provides air by producing half of the oxygen we breathe, providing more oxygen than the amazon rainforest.
- Being the largest ecosystem in the world, the ocean hosts 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity.
- Scientists estimate about 70 to 90 percent of all coral reefs will disappear over the next 20 years due to climate change
Human Impact on Oceans
- Currently, there are 150 million metric tons of plastic already in our oceans with 8 million metric tons entering our oceans each year.
- Almost every marine organism is contaminated with man-made chemicals.
- We then consume these chemicals through seafood and animal fats which can cause serious health problems.
- Rising sea levels due to climate change has caused habitat destruction.Â
- Oceans are becoming more acidic due to increased CO2 concentrations making ecosystems and species especially vulnerable.Â
Benefits of the Ocean
- Fisheries and aquaculture employs 56 million people with many more having jobs around the fisheries and aquaculture industry.
- Coral reefs generate up to $36 billion in tourism revenue annually
- Oceans provide us with about 200 billion pounds of food each year.
- Many life saving medicines, vaccines and antibiotics have materials found in the oceans and ocean organisms.
- The ocean is a carbon sink, holding around 38,000 gigatons (1 gigaton = 1 billion tons) of carbon, 16 times more carbon than in the terrestrial biosphere.
