“I sometimes think my vision of the sea is the clearest thing I own” – Sylvia Plath
This month, I wanted to write about the sea and its importance for two reasons – firstly, because of David Attenborough’s popular new documentary ‘Ocean’ (which I unfortunately still haven’t had the opportunity to watch as yet) and, secondly, because I went on my first swim in the sea a few weeks ago. I find the sea mesmerising, perhaps because it fluctuates through periods of calmness, sometimes lapping at the beach edge and other times exuding immense power, rearing its head and gnashing at the open sky, sending curdled waves crashing. But the sea isn’t just powerful in a spiritual and beautiful sense; it is also a biodiverse ecosystem and one of our greatest assets in the midst of the climate crisis.
The ocean protects us in many ways and is one of the greatest climate regulators. Up to now, it has been the biggest carbon sink on the planet and absorbs over twenty-eight times the amount of carbon as the atmosphere and all trees and vegetation combined, storing about 38,000 billion tonnes. Absorbing roughly 25 per cent of the carbon dioxide that we emit into the atmosphere, it is perhaps our greatest resource when reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. What’s more, the ocean absorbs over 90 per cent of the excess heat caused by human activities, slowing down the warming of the planet and mitigating some of the most severe effects of climate change. Without the ocean, the earth’s maximum temperature would be around one hundred degrees celsius -the temperature of boiling water – and would have an average surface temperature of roughly fifty degrees celsius (currently, the world’s surface temperature is approximately fifteen degrees).
As well as both absorbing carbon dioxide and moderating global temperature, the ocean has many other benefits. Coastal habitats such as mangrove forests, coral reefs and seagrass beds act as natural barriers to coastlines, reducing the impact of waves, currents and storm surges. This is particularly essential given the likelihood of extreme storms and weather events is increasing due to the growing severity of the climate crisis. The oceans are also a major source of food: over three billion people rely on food from the sea as their primary source of protein. The force of the oceans, both through tidal power and wind in coastal areas, could provide the largest source of renewable energy on earth if the ocean’s capabilities are harnessed efficiently. Being surrounded by the sea, the UK has excellent potential for offshore wind and tidal energy and, already, offshore wind farms in the North Sea are providing power to over 4.5 million UK homes.
When I was younger, I used to live in a coastal town and would spend much of my primary school summers dancing on the beach during the phase where I was obsessed with ‘The Next Step’ and loom band necklaces, the salty air licking at my matted hair. One day, I brought the longest loom band chain I’d made yet with me to the beach, padding my way across the thin shingle, and lost it near the water’s edge. Around this time, I’d been learning about turtles and the ocean at primary school and was distraught at the thought of a turtle potentially choking on my loom band necklace, so waded into the sea looking for it, though it was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, there were much greater risks facing the ocean than I’d realised at the time which have only worsened as I’ve grown up (although I’m not recommending leaving loom bands lying around).
Childhood worries about plastic pollution pale in comparison with the systemic issues we now face. For instance, in June this year, a paper published in the journal Global Change Biology stated that ocean acidification has passed a critical boundary, endangering the ecologies of all the world’s oceans. Ocean acidification occurs when the ocean absorbs too much carbon dioxide, the interaction between the carbon and water molecules producing carbonic acid. Essentially, the more carbon we emit, the more acidic the ocean becomes. From 1950 to 2020, oceans became 30 per cent more acidic, which has affected oysters, clams and sea urchins and made it difficult for them to develop inside their shells. Fish and coral have also had a harder time forming their structures and their reproduction rate has altered due to the increased acidification. This has not only affected the sea creatures themselves, but has also affected fishing and seafood production, particularly in tropical areas where acidity can be twice as high as in polar regions due to ocean currents and temperature variations.
Moreover, recent studies have highlighted concerns that the ocean is losing its capability to act as a carbon sink. Arctic ice sheets and Greenland’s glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate, which has disrupted the crucial Gulf Stream ocean current and slowed the rate at which the ocean is absorbing carbon. Additionally, fast-melting polar ice is exposing zooplankton to more sunlight which is disrupting their ability to store carbon in the deepest depths of the ocean. Scientists have even raised questions about whether eventually the ocean could lose its ability to absorb carbon completely and potentially even start emitting carbon itself in the long term. This would have catastrophic consequences for the climate given the crucial role the ocean currently plays in storing carbon, though it also demonstrates how we can’t rely on natural carbon sinks to offset our emissions and the necessity of urgent action.
The ocean is both a source of wonder and a fragile lifeline, one that we’re pushing to the brink. Protecting it demands global cooperation: reducing emissions, safeguarding marine habitats and rethinking our reliance on fossil fuels; but the first step is remembering how much we stand to lose.
I hope you found this an interesting and informative read, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue! Feel free to send me an email (my address is mayrosepuckey@gmail.com) or contact me on Instagram or Substack (@maypuckey).
