Marine Life and Conservation
U.S. National Park Service (USNPS) The dazzling vibrancy of coral reefs, the fleeting streaks of color as shorebirds alight, flying up and above the waves, the sight of young sea turtles flecked with granules of sand, clambering for open ocean, the bioluminescence of extraordinary organisms churning in deep sea; When we catch glimpses of the myriad life dotting the ocean’s blue expanse, we are often struck by its beauty. But marine life is not only vibrant; it is vital. Wipeter/CC BY-SA So much as the visible compels us, it is the invisible that sustains us. Marine microbes, which drive carbon sequestration in the oceans, comprise more than 98% of ocean biomass. Floating in delicate glass walls of Silica, diatoms, a type of phytoplankton, produce one fifth of the air we breathe. Collectively, phytoplankton are responsible for every other breath we take. These tiny organisms also form the basis of marine foods webs that support Earth’s largest animal, the blue whale. U.S. National Park Service (USNPS) Kendall Jeffrys Larger species also support marine ecosystems. Green sea turtles, for example, foster healthy seagrass meadows and coral reefs, critical habitats for commercial fish species that billions depend upon for their livelihoods or food security. Whales act as ecosystem engineers, recycling nutrients and increasing ocean productivity. As top predators, sharks are good indicators of ocean health and keep marine food webs in balance. These are just a few examples of the roles marine species play on the greater stage of life. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Federal protection of endangered species has allowed some marine life to come back from dramatic declines: 77% of marine mammals and sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act are recovering in population size. In 2016, humpback whales had recovered so much that most populations were taken off the endangered species list. Marine mammals not listed as endangered are still protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Despite recovery of some species, many forms of life, such as shore birds, are still facing rapid decline. A confluence of climatic threats to the ocean pushes marine life to a precarious existence. The ocean is 30% more acidic than it was before industrialization. As the ocean absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, it forms carbonic acid which dissolves calcium carbonate structures of corals, mussels, clams, oysters, and starfish. The ocean is not only acidifying but also gasping for air: over the past 50 years, the volume of ocean with no oxygen has quadrupled. Oxygen is consumed by algal blooms spurred by warming temperatures and nutrient overload from sewage and agricultural run-off spilling from land into our seas. “Fish, amphibian, and reptile, warm-blooded bird and mammal — each of us carries in our veins a salty stream in which the elements sodium, potassium, and calcium are combined in almost the same proportions as in sea water.” The makeup of our atoms is not unlike that of the sea. Without ever splashing our feet into its salty waters, we all connect to the ocean in this way. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Some may know the ocean personally, some may know it through photos, art, or the work of marine scientists such as Rachel Carson, whose book Under the Sea-Wind transforms an imagination of ocean life into a vivid reality. The RCC seeks to continue to bring the ocean to life, highlighting our interconnectedness with the sea and our need to protect it.
We come from life in the ocean — the chemistry of our bodies is testament to that past. As Rachel Carson wrote in The Sea Around Us, 
Latest News About
Marine Life and Conservation
From Crisis to Comeback: Long Island’s $6 Billion Clean Water Victory
The universal need for clean water transcends all politics.
In a landmark victory for clean water, Suffolk County residents approved Proposition 2. Over the next 30 years, this measure will secure $4 billion to modernize wastewater infrastructure and protect Long Island’s waters from nitrogen pollution and $2 billion to protect clean drinking water by conserving nature. Read more
Do Hurricanes Pose a Danger to Fish and Other Sea Life?
What happens to fish and other sea creatures during a hurricane? Do they flee the area or ride out the storm?
According to an article on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association website, hurricanes generate high waves, rough undercurrents and shifting sands, and all three may harm sea life. Read more
A Celebrated Ocean Liner Is Being Turned into the World’s Largest Artificial Reef
For decades, the SS United States has been moored off Philadelphia as a reminder of the nation’s seafaring past, but looking now to the future, it will be sunk to create the world’s largest artificial reef.
While coral reefs are in danger worldwide, features like concrete blocks and shipwrecks can offer vital shelter and habitat to dozens of marine species, and many old vessels in many different countries have gone to rest in this way. Read more
Oceans Without Sharks Would Be Far Less Healthy – New Research
There are more than 500 species of sharks in the world’s oceans, from the 7-inch dwarf lantern shark to whale sharks that can grow to over 35 feet long. They’re found from polar waters to the equator, at the water’s surface and miles deep, in the open ocean, along coasts and even in some coastal rivers.
With such diversity, it’s no surprise that sharks serve many ecological functions. Read more
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