The downsides, the reasons and the solutions: explained.

Form 3 students. Foley’s school. Limassol (Cyprus)

Loss of biodiversity in the seas and oceans has been a huge problem around the whole world. Everybody thinks that we can’t do anything about it but let us tell you we can.

The waters of the world are a magical place which still have many wonders to discover. They are the places which many animals call home. Actually, just only in the Mediterranean Sea, there are over 17000 different types of fishes, animals and birds. On the negative side of things, many animals are endangered and predicted to go extinct just in a couple of years from today. However, do you really know what endangered species are? An endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Endangered species include: crabs; sharks; dolphins; reptiles; birds and many types of fishes.

                  

The majestic Mediterranean monk seal is screaming for help.

The Mediterranean monk seal is more than just another species of the marine environment. It has been one of the most fundamental mammals for the past, present and future of the Mediterranean. In the Mediterranean Sea, near Greece, roughly half of the monk seal’s population lives. It is estimated that 250 to 300 individuals live there. But why are there so little? Imagine an azure ocean filled with emptiness. This could actually happen quite soon. The main reasons why monk seals are disappearing are the depletion of food resources, entrapment during fishing and hunting. All of these reasons are due to human evolution so we are the ones to blame for this.

Can you tell me another reason for this disastrous loss of biodiversity?

Invasive species are another factor that makes life worse for everyone in the sea. An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area. More than 900 species have invaded the Mediterranean in recent years due to global warming and other environmental issues.

The red lionfish is an alien in the Mediterranean Sea which has colonized nearly all of Cyprus’s southeastern coast. Scientists, researchers and fishermen can’t yet predict all of the possible results but lionfish definitely are reducing the number of fish that clean algae. Lionfish also cause harm to food chains; threaten local biodiversity and harm unsuspecting, unprofessional and untrained divers.

Poor, entangled fish unable to forage for food and are left to die

Cold, selfish murderers live around us while we, ourselves, strive for a better future. These amoral fishermen leave their fishing nets abandoned, lost and discarded in seas, oceans and lakes. Poor fish get lost and accidentally entangle themselves in these deathly hangman’s knots and so are left alone for death. This leads to huge losses in biodiversity as more than 650,000 marine animals injure themselves or die yearly.

Let us count the ways to save the future:

Ten years ago, we would have never cared about where we throw away our water bottles but now after researching and learning all about biodiversity in the ocean, we always go the extra mile to put our water bottles in the recycling bin. You might be wondering how this helps our world but thousands of marine animals die due to plastic, oil and air pollution. There are many other countless ways that you can act. For example, you can volunteer and clean up the beaches near you; you can recycle and reuse your waste; you can donate money to charities which care for endangered species; you can use electric cars or bicycles to reduce amounts of greenhouse gas emissions to stop global warming; you can also either reduce your intake of fish and seafood or buy sustainably harvested seafood. All of these ways can eradicate the issues of biodiversity loss and generally improve our quality of life on our miraculous planet.

Dangerous global warming is about to torture the animals too.

Global warming is an immense issue that our world is facing as it refers to the current rise in average temperatures. Imagine living in icy cold waters, that by the time, you become a 1-year-old, get 20% warmer and you have to flee to survive. This leads to serious consequences as sea levels are expected to rise by one metre by 2100. We hope that by now you are asking yourselves the most important question which should be how can we help.

As we have mentioned, there are many different reasons for the loss of biodiversity, such as invasive species, global warming, pollution and ghost nets. The division of schools of fishes results in an endless void of darkness. Imagine that your grandchildren and children will not be able to see the mesmerising endangered species and the undiscovered potential of magic in the ocean. Our enigmatic world can be helped in various small and easy ways such as recycling, conserving electricity and living sustainably.

Act NOW! It isn’t that hard! SAVE the PLANET! Stand with us to create the better tomorrow!