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Why Everyone Should Care About Ocean Conservation
And plastic trash in the ocean
The reality of plastic trash in the ocean is upsetting at the least. It is the main issue destroying our oceans today. An estimated eight million tons of plastic trash enters our oceans every year, and that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste currently pollute the world’s oceans (CondorFerries, 2022). Of that amount, 269,000 tons float while four billion microfibers per km squared dwell below the surface unseen to the natural eye (CondorFerries, 2022). 70% of this trash sinks to the bottom into the ocean’s ecosystems, 15% floats on the surface, and 15% ends up on beaches in countries around the world (CondorFerries, 2022).
If the parents of today want their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to continue living on the earth, they better start taking care of the ocean today.
The ocean covers about 70% of the earth’s surface and provides 50% of the oxygen humans need for breathing and living (Environmental, n.d.). In fact, 70% of the oxygen we breathe is directly created by marine plants (CondorFerries, 2022). Because of the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the ocean is absorbing more heat which raises the overall temperature and causes the ice in the oceans to melt, which in turn raises the water level. As water levels rise, coastal…
