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[Music] Our oceans are vast, covering 71% of the Earth's surface. They provide us with food, recreation, and an amazing abundance of life. These resources exist in a complex and vulnerable balance, a balance that's increasingly under threat. If we're not careful, we could lose some of our ocean's most incredible wonders forever. Clean beaches, seafood, and entire species of marine life are in danger if we don't make changes. No matter where you live, the choices you make every day can have a big impact on the fragile balance of our oceans.
[Music] [Music] Every year we take 170 billion pounds of wildlife from the sea. And since 1989, fishing yields have decreased every single year. We've run out of new fishing grounds on Earth and are removing fish from our oceans at a rate that's too high to sustain. When the demand for certain types of seafood grows too high, the delicate balance of the food chain is changed, which has an effect on all sea life. There's something you can do about it. Eating sustainably means eating seafood that's been caught responsibly. Sustainable fishermen around the world leave enough fish in the ocean to ensure a healthy population and ocean environment and work to prevent other sea life from being unintentionally caught. You can find sustainable seafood guides online which will easily direct you to the most responsible and healthiest options at the grocery store, restaurant, or market. Print out a pocket guide for the region you live in or download a mobile guide to your smartphone so you can always make the best seafood decisions no matter where you are. Ask your favorite restaurants to start listing sustainability information next to the seafood choices on their menus. And if your favorite fish to eat are being overfished, use an online guide to find a responsible and tasty substitute. Remember, every time you buy, order, or eat seafood, you're making a decision that has the power to impact the health of all ocean life.
[Music] Every single year, more than 260 million tons of plastic products are created, many of which are discarded after being used only once. The durability that makes plastic products so useful makes them that much more harmful when they are thrown away. A lot of this garbage ends up in landfills, and much of it also ends up in the ocean. No matter where you live, plastic caught in storm and sewage drains, rivers, and beaches makes its way to our oceans, where it can pollute our shores or become trapped in large swirling gys. Marine mammals, fish, and birds can mistake this trash for food and die. Some plastics also release harmful chemicals when in the ocean, which can damage habitats and contaminate the very seafood that we eat. There are many ways that you can help decrease the amount of plastic that reach our oceans every day. Whenever you go shopping, bring a reusable cloth bag with you instead of getting a plastic one. Buy in bulk. This helps to reduce the amount of packaging you're consuming and will produce less waste. Use bioplastics, glass, or paper whenever possible. They're easier to recycle and reuse. If you need to throw away plastic and there isn't a recycling bin nearby, hold on to it until you find one. The short trip you make could save the long one to the ocean. Remember our oceans the next time you're going to purchase or throw away a plastic product. There might be a better option.
[Music] [Music] Preserving our oceans and the life they contain means increasing our awareness of the problems they face and getting involved. Find a local shoreline cleanup near a river, lake, reservoir, or beach. A cleanup is a great way to meet your neighbors, keep your community clean, and prevent trash from making its way to the ocean. Get online and do more research to learn about the different ways you can help to improve the health of our oceans. Check back often to learn about new threats as well as solutions that you can implement in your daily life. When planning your next beach vacation, consider choosing a trip to a marine protected area. Ocean and shore regions that are regulated with the goal of sustainability. By choosing a marine protected area as your destination, you'll be contributing to a global effort to keep our oceans clean and healthy for future generations. Most importantly, become an advocate for enjoying our oceans responsibly and making positive choices for change. Tell your friends and family what you've learned. Support marine conservation groups and share ideas about ways to keep our oceans clean. Go to ocean.ngeographic.org. org to discover more ways to make a difference. Our oceans are one of our most precious resources. The choices we make every day do add up to help make a positive impact.
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