The seas and oceans are one of if not the most important natural bodies in the world. Not only do the waters make up to 70% of the world, but it is also a vital part of the system of the Earth helping in everything from temperature regulation to providing organisms a stable biome to live in. It is an understatement to say that the waters of the world are a vital role in a plethora of functions of the world and it is imperative to save the waters.
The waters can be divided into two main bodies; oceans and seas. As known by all, there are four oceans which are the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and the Indian Ocean. The oceans of the world are so vast that we have only explored less the 10% of them. They are so vast, we know more about space than we know of our oceans. The oceans are home to various species of sea creatures such as sharks, dolphins, and even stingrays. All of these animals are a major part of the life cycle and food web of the waters. For example, stingrays consume creatures whose main source of nutrition is seaweed. Due to stingrays, the population of the seaweed grazers is in check, providing sufficient food for all, thus maintaining and balancing the local waters. Even though this might not seem as much, it is a major part of an even bigger play.
Another abundant water body is the seas. The seas are different from the oceans as they are located in more localized areas and so many seas make up the oceans. There are about 50 seas in the entire world. These seas help regulate the currents of the Earth. These currents then divide into rivers which would lead to the fertilization of many crops and so not only do the waters help regulate the life underwater but also the life on land and in the sky. Seas are also home to many animals such as sea otters, sea urchins, and various shellfish such as lobster. Like the oceans, all of the animals are part of a much bigger community. For example, sea kelp is an abundant source of vegetation found in the shallow seas. Sea Urchin, also known as parasites, consume this kelp in masses, which leads to a decrease in the amount of food for everyone else. But sea urchins are also the preferred food for sea otters and as these mammals hunt and consume these parasites, they in turn also regulate the vegetation for many fish and shellfish in the shallow seas.
Now we know that water is all about life and stability but we seem to ignore all of this. Over the past 100 years, water pollution globally has increased exponentially. This is because of various practices that producers do to cut costs. The one major issue is the drainage of various chemicals. This includes garbage from factories that flow from rivers to the oceans, trash collected and dispersed into the seas, and oil spills as a result of errors in the shipment of gasses and oils. One of the recent incidents regarding the same is the oil spills that happened in the Gulf of Mexico which caused the water to become poisonous and cost the Mexican government a lot of money. There are certain ways that we can implement change, like conserving water, but we first need to understand the situation fully and then take a calculated call.
Saying this, however, a lot of governments around the world are taking action for water safety and conservation. For starters, the United Nations has implemented the Sustainable Development Goals and the Millenium Development Goals. The difference between the sustainable development goals is focused on a global level, Millennium development goals are focused specifically on underdeveloped and developing nations. “Clean water and sanitation” (SDG 6) and “Life below water” (SDG 14) from the SDGs target the conservation of water and stability of life which depends on it, while “Ensure Environmental Sustainability” (MDG 7) takes into account the saving and provision of water in the underdeveloped and developing nations.
Apart from this, governments such as Mexico and Egypt, who are prone to oil spills, have implemented strict and effective actions to battle the same. Apart from this many island nations like New Zealand have implemented laws to protect the surrounding coral reefs and save the water. Landlocked nations such as Liechtenstein have also implemented regulations for the saving and conservation of water within the country so there is minimal to no wastage of the resource.
To conclude, the waters of the Earth are the life-giving nectar that the universe has provided us and it is our responsibility not to misuse this gift. We, as a people of the world, need to focus on bringing on change and stabilizing the world. The time is now to act on the issue before it is too late and all we are left are a few drops of water and 5 billion unsaved lives. The time is now to take strict action against this problem and we now need all global governments to come together and find a solution for the same for the betterment of the world.
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