Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact Report

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The Importance of a Marine Ecosystems

In a historical document taken from the archives of the State of Virginia, one can find Captain John Smith’s journal entry. Captain Smith described an event wherein his men were able to haul an abundant harvest of fish (Roberts, 2012, p.10). Scientific evidence supports Smith’s claim (Roberts, 2012). Thus, there was a time when the Earth’s marine ecosystems were teeming with marine life. Captain Smith’s journal was written in the year 1624. It is good to read about Smith’s account. His account of America’s rich natural resources encourages the creation of initiatives to save the marine ecosystems of the present time.

Cutting-edge technology is supposed to guarantee a bountiful harvest. However, scientists all over the world are making the following sad refrain: “For all their technological brilliance, modern fishing fleets operate at the margins of profitability” (Roberts,2012). Fishermen are having a hard time hitting their quotas. The main culprit is the destruction of marine ecosystems due to the tremendous increase in human populations. The growth of communities dependent on fishing is proportional to the destruction of marine ecosystems. Scientists are lamenting the fact that many fish species are in precipitous decline (Abel & McConnell, 2010). Nevertheless, responsible citizens must never give up. The destruction of the aquatic environment is an inevitable outcome of human development. Responsible citizens must take concrete steps in order to reverse the negative impact of the exploitation of marine life. The survival of the human race, and the survival of millions of species of wildlife is dependent on a healthy marine ecosystem.

Marine ecosystems are important because these are major sources of food for the human population. Seafood is an important source of protein. The inability to harvest fish will exacerbate the nutrition problem in areas where hunger is already a major issue. Marine ecosystems also play an important role in the livelihood of hundreds of millions of people around the world. A significant number of workers are dependent on a health ecosystem in order to create jobs related to tourism. Millions of employees are dependent on jobs related to aqua sports, scuba diving, and recreational fishing. Marine ecosystems are also critical sources of medicines.

The Effects of a Growing Human Population

Overfishing is the number one concern with regards to the growing human population in coastal areas. Growing cities have an indirect impact on the destruction of marine ecosystems. Globalization has created greater demand for exotic food and exotic sea creatures. People harvest corals for aesthetic purposes without considering the fact that aquatic animals rely on corals to survive.

Mangroves are needed to protect coastal communities from storm surges. At the same time, the mangrove ecosystem interacts with the marine ecosystem in the area in order to produce healthy marine life. The interaction of different groups of organisms ensures the survival of the human population. However, the need to produce more food necessitates the destruction of mangroves in order to give way to man-made structures.

Petroleum products are major sources of pollutants that destroy aquatic life in marine ecosystems. The growth of the human population directly increases the demand for petroleum products. Therefore, there is significant increase in the amount of petroleum products transported across the seven seas. As a result, the incidence of oil spills are also on the rise. Oil spills degrade aquatic life and destroy sensitive marine habitats (Abel & McConnell, 2010). It is important to develop tankers that are not prone to accidents. It is also important to develop effective strategies for oil spill clean up. The clean up method must be efficient enough to minimize damage to the marine ecosystem in the said area.

Conclusion

People dependent on marine ecosystems must use resources at their disposal to reverse the negative consequences of uncontrolled exploitation of marine life. One of the practical strategies to repair the damage is to create marine protected zones that are designed to handle diverse species of marine life. Another important strategy is to impose penalties on factories and other man-made endeavors that are responsible for dumping toxic waste into ocean floor. It is important to develop protected zones that are free from human interference.

References

Abel, D. & McConnell, R. (2010). Environmental oceanography. MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Roberts, C. (2012). The ocean of life. New York: Penguin Books.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, June 20). Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact. https://ivypanda.com/essays/marine-ecosystems-human-dependence-and-impact/

Work Cited

"Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact." IvyPanda, 20 June 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/marine-ecosystems-human-dependence-and-impact/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact'. 20 June.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact." June 20, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/marine-ecosystems-human-dependence-and-impact/.

1. IvyPanda. "Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact." June 20, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/marine-ecosystems-human-dependence-and-impact/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Marine Ecosystems, Human Dependence and Impact." June 20, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/marine-ecosystems-human-dependence-and-impact/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1