Our Oceans Matter: A Kid's Guide to Understanding and Protecting the Sea
- Saketh Veeramachaneni
- Jun 19
- 7 min read
Written by Wave Maker: Saketh Veeramachaneni - 11 years old from Pittsburgh, PA
The Ocean covers 70% of our planet, yet, we don’t know a lot of things about it.
We need to understand and learn about it to know how to properly take steps to protect it.
So, what do we know about the oceans?
We know that the ocean is the lungs of Earth by producing half the oxygen we breathe, it is also largest carbon sink absorbing about carbon dioxide and excess heat from the atmosphere.
The ocean is also fun and beautiful and provides lot of people with jobs. The ocean is home to 94% life on Earth.
Oceans not only provide seafood like fish, crab, lobsters etc., it also provides seaweed and sea salt, and some minerals to make medicines and supplements.
What we do not know about Oceans:
Did you know that scientists are finding about 2000 new species every year that live in the oceans, which means we don’t even know all the species that live in the ocean yet?
We are not taking good care of the oceans and are hurting the ocean's health in many ways by what we do on the land. Deep-sea ecosystems are facing serious threats from climate change, deep-sea mining, and pollution. Ocean inhabitants have their own struggles; they shouldn’t have to deal with our problems
too!
The top three threats to the ocean—overfishing, climate change, and plastic pollution—all have one thing in common: they’re driven by human activity. But that also means we have the power to change things.
First, let us learn about each of the problem the Oceans are facing, so that we understand better what changes we can make in our actions to help protect them.
Plastic Pollution:
Scientists have found plastic fragments in 44% of all seabird species, 43% of all marine mammal species and 100% of sea turtle species. Yes, sadly, micro plastics are everywhere. From Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, in freshly fallen Antarctic snow and even in our blood – plastic is everywhere. Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, and micro plastics were found in every marine turtle, over half of all whales, and a third of seals examined in studies published in 2018-2019. Yet, despite this growing crisis, only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, with the vast majority ending up in landfills or the environment. Some of the ways micro plastics get in our bodies day to day are from
single use plastic, Styrofoam containers in the restaurant take-outs, reusable contact lens, tea bags, dishwater pods and so on. Micro plastics have been found at depths of up to 3,200 feet, and studies suggest they can infiltrate food webs, posing potential risks. These particles also attract pollutants, meaning animals that ingest micro plastics may consume harmful toxins as well.
Sound Pollution:
Oceans are full of sounds made by marine life, like whales singing or fish communicating. However, as we develop technology and industries, we’re adding noise that affects ocean life. Shipping traffic, underwater drilling, and naval sonar systems create loud sounds that can confuse, stress, confuse, and even harm marine animals, especially those that rely on sound for communication and navigation, such as whales and dolphins.
Waste Water Pollution and Toxins:
Waste water from the land ultimately finds its way to Oceans. But things like clothing which we would never think would contribute also contribute to the Ocean pollution. You might ask how clothing poses a threat. Over consumption of water and water pollution are both contributed by Clothing industry. The dyes used in clothing contributes to toxins and hazardous chemicals to be released into water. Synthetic textiles also release microfiber and micro plastics which also release toxins and chemicals that hurt many marine animals.
Oil Drilling:
When we drill, we spill, it is as simple as that. Sensitive marine life should be protected, from the diverse coral reefs of Florida to the marine mammal hotspots in the Northern Bering Sea. Oil exploration in these important habitats could harm marine life, and a potential oil spill could be devastating. Drilling is already threatening ocean habitats and when oil leaks or spills, it is killing whales, turtles and dolphins. This could be a disaster for our oceans and we need to protect our fragile ecosystems.
Climate change:
Increasing greenhouse gases not only warm the air, but the ocean too. About 90% of global warming is absorbed by Oceans, which means ocean water temperatures are increased which in turn cause sea-levels to raise.
Sea Level rising:
When the temperatures on Earth rise, it melts the ice in Arctic and Antarctic and all that extra water makes the sea levels rise. It floods some small islands or homes near the shore line, so people have to move away to different places. Not only us humans, some marine animals that live closer to the shore also lose homes when sea levels rise.
Warmer temperatures:
Melting Waters also mean warmer temperatures: What will happen if water temperature rises? Do you think you will like it when it is really hot? No right, you want to move away to somewhere where it is a little cooler. That’s exactly what sea creatures do too. If the water temperature increases, they leave their homes and move to somewhere where it is cooler. Warmer temperatures also mean more water because water expands and more sea levels rise. Corals lose their beautiful color and become white to look like skeletons which is called coral bleaching.
It happens when the water temperatures rise and also water becomes acidic. Once Corals get sick and lose their color, many animals that live in coral reefs lose their homes.
What else can happen with warmer temperatures?
Stronger Storms: Warmer oceans means more water turns into clouds and the clouds can’t hold all the water anymore which means storms become more powerful and stronger and more dangerous.
Less oxygen in water: Hypoxia, which occurs when warming oceans reduce oxygen levels in the water. This not only makes it hard for some sensitive marine animals to survive, it also increases the acidity in the ocean that impairs the formation of calcium carbonate shells in species such as oysters and plankton. This change endangers previously stable ecosystems.
Commercial fishing/Overfishing:
Overfishing not only could harm species like lantern fish and krill, which are vital for the transport of carbon and serve as food for larger marine animals, it also sometimes destroys sensitive and vital marine
habitats.
Ocean Acidification:
Let’s understand Ocean acidity. The ocean's normal pH is slightly basic, typically ranging from 8.1 to 8.2. This balance is crucial for marine life, especially for organisms like corals, shellfish, and plankton that rely on stable carbonate levels to build their skeletons and shells. However, when carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere dissolves into seawater, it forms carbonic
acid, which lowers the ocean's pH. This process is known as ocean acidification. Even a small drop in pH, say from 8.2 to 8.0, represents a significant increase in acidity. Ocean acidification can weaken coral reefs, harm shell-forming species, and disrupt entire marine ecosystems. Monitoring and reducing CO₂ emissions is critical to protecting ocean health and the marine life that depends on.
Ocean Acidification is a direct result of human-caused carbon dioxide emission and is altering the chemical balance of seawater that marine life depends upon for survival.
Now that we know the major threats oceans are facing, let’s think about how we can help.
How You Can Make a Difference:
We learned from learning about the threats the ocean is facing that even if we do not live close to the ocean, our actions on land still matter and make a significant difference in ocean health. There are plenty of small things that each one of us can do and can still make a big difference. From joining a shoreline cleanup to supporting kelp restoration, there are so many ways to take action
and protect our ocean.
Few simple things we kids can do include:
Participating or supporting beach cleanups.
Reducing the use of single use plastics like spoons, forks, straws and using reusable or biodegradable alternatives instead of plastics ones.
Reducing the use of plastic shopping bags.
Making sustainable food and energy choices
Reducing our carbon footprint by using less cars when we can bike for closer distances.
Buying a fewer things and reusing stuff we already have like our old backpacks and toys.
Turning off lights, fans and electronics and not wasting food or water.
Learning proper recycling
Most importantly, by educating ourselves and everyone around us on the importance of the oceans and how their actions can contribute to the ocean protection. This alone can ensure healthier ocean for generations to come. We can work towards balancing human activity with the needs to marine ecosystems.
Bigger changes need to happen as well – like supporting kelp forest restoration, Mangrove restoration, Blue carbon initiatives to improve our frontline defense and build a healthier coastline that is more resilient and captures more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These ecosystems are not just barren landscapes; they're vital to our planet's health, supporting diverse marine life and influencing global climate patterns.
It's time to take action and safeguard these underwater treasures! Each one of us can make a difference and together we can make a change! So, Let’s all make some small changes to protect Oceans for our tomorrow!
If you have any questions or would like to continue the conversation, email us at
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Sources
TED Talk with Sylvia Earle
TED Talk with Robert Ballard
Permission granted by parents:
Saroja Veru
Sonia Chung
Photos provided by:
Saroja Veru
From the STS Team:
Great job, Saketh! Your article was insightful, educational and also full of heart. Thank you for sharing what you've learned with our community of ocean warriors! Keep making waves of change! It makes a tidal difference!
Great job Saketh! Good job standing up for a cause with a very thoughtful article, a true wave maker!
Great job Saketh.. Thank you for the info..
Amazing Job Saketh, Excellent writing and representation of your thoughts and what an important topic you chose for entire humanity. Keep up the good work !!!
Great job Saketh! What a great read!