SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO LIFE IN WATER
Science and Ethics of the Oceans
Keywords:
Arctic Ecosystem, Biodiversity, Oceans, Overfishing, Sustainability, Weather PatternsAbstract
Oceans have always remained a mystery to humankind. We owe the oceans the very air we breathe. Oceans are storehouses of nutrient rich food that can alleviate the hunger of many generations to come, offer rich minerals and medicines to cure many diseases, regulate the temperature of our planet, stabilize weather patterns, and provide livelihood for many in the fishing and tourism industry. But sadly they are overexploited and polluted to the core. The very fact that these mighty oceans have started showing the ill effects of anthropogenic activities itself is testimony to the tremendous greed of humanity. Among all the mighty oceans, the Arctic ocean is the most sensitive and vulnerable to these changes as it holds a pivotal position in maintaining life on Earth by different mechanisms. SDG 14 of the United Nations underlines the urgent need to conserve marine resources and give equal rights to people in all countries to enjoy these resources. The current review is an attempt to highlight the enormous number of ways in which oceans have helped humankind, the serious threats the oceans are facing now, and how best we can have a sustainable approach to halt the total crashing of our great ocean systems.
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