Throughout humanity’s history, we have taken from the sea and thrived. Its seemingly endless bounty rises up, beckoning us out into the yawning expanse and unfathomable depths.
All is tied, eventually, to the sea.
But the sea is a fearsome and unrelenting provider. It can be pushed too far. The lessons of the past are known, but too often not learned.
The Cod and the Whale of legend are gone.
The sea is confused
Relentless and rising demand leave top trophic species progressively depleted. Floating fish factories scoop up vast swaths of biomass. Dead zones expand as oceans absorb more heat, carbon dioxide, and phosphorous. Bits and pieces of our detritus wash into the sea, a constant flow of waste and thoughtless avarice.
A “confused ocean” drives the hunt further out to sea, further down the marine food web.
We push our planetary partner from all sides at our peril.
Photo by Igor Goryachev on Unsplash