[Thematic Report] Covid-19 and Our Marine Environment: A Wake Up Call

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[Thematic Report] Covid-19 and Our Marine Environment: A Wake Up Call
by Troyee Mutsuddy \| 20-06-2020 20:12 0
We can’t ignore how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the marine environment. The imposition of lockdown has been a blessing for the marine environment. Nature took a breather as the beaches became less crowded. The sea suffered less pollution, it became cleaner, allowing marine bio life to start thriving again. As humans stay away from this territory, the other creatures from sea return to roam around at their will, making nature balance in its own natural way. Source: https://www.duvarenglish.com/environment/2020/04/13/dolphins-return-to-istanbul-coast-when-abandoned-due-to-covid-19/ And not only sea animals, sea plants also started sprouting. Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/morning-glory-returns-coxs-bazar-beach-1888387 This photo is at Cox’s Bazar sea beach in Bangladesh, where Beach Morning Glory has done a glorious comeback, sprouting without the disturbance of tourists and other structures. These plants were not seen in the beach for many years due to tourists crowding the beaches. These plants work as a natural shield against coastal erosion and an important element of the marine ecosystem. Though the pandemic has allowed marine life to take a breath, the risk of losing it still looms. If lockdown rules are loosened and when people start moving indiscriminately, the biodiversity of marine life will be lost again. This is a crucial time to realize how important it is to protect the marine environment and understand the ways of protection and preservation while allowing people to enjoy it as well. But the pandemic has opened a great threat to the marine environment too. The single-use disposable gloves, PPE and masks that we are using everyday are being found in the sea, polluting the sea on a massive scale. Pollution in the sea is a big problem as it is, but this has added another dimension to it. This alarming rate of Covid-19 wastes polluting the sea puts us back to one of the original causes of the pollution- plastic wastes. Maybe using plastic made products to tackle Covid-19 is not a smart use. Reusable, washable products need to be used more. Source: Photo Courtesy Operation Terre-Mer https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/08/more-masks-than-jellyfish-coronavirus-waste-ends-up-in-ocean The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the worst situations human kind has faced in recent times, but it is a crucial period to reflect on the things we have done and continue doing to our environment. It has allowed the marine environment to try regain its original glory, but it's our job to understand the importance of its preservation and protection. It’s high time for a wake up call. Sources: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/ppe-masks-gloves-coronavirus-ocean-pollution/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/08/more-masks-than-jellyfish-coronavirus-waste-ends-up-in-ocean http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/243451

Dormant user Troyee Mutsuddy

4 Comments

Kushal Naharki

Kushal Naharki says :
Hello Troyee

Greetings and Namaste from Nepal
Wishing you a safe stay
Thank you for your report on Covid-19 and Marine Environment

Keep writing great reports.
We are eager to read more reports from you.
Green Cheers :)

Best wishes,
Kushal Naharki

Posted 14-07-2020 10:26

Taehyun Mentor says :
Hello Troyee Mutsuddy this is mentor Taehyun!

I think it's ironic that what the Corona virus has given us is the preciousness of nature, the self-purification of nature, and what we've given nature, on the contrary, is the waste of sanitary products. In fact, it's self-evident that the use of disposable products during the Corona virus period has soared. How can we protect the environment in this contradiction? If you give up one side, one side increases. Is it an inevitable opportunity cost? I think I should think seriously.

Thank you for the report!

Green cheers!
Posted 01-07-2020 02:10

Sang Su Mentor says :
Hi Troyee Mutsuddy, this is a mentor, Sang Su Lee.

Thank you for showing bright and dark sides of COVID-19. It is true that entropy has been reduced around the beach because people are locked down in their houses. However, it is quite gloomy to notice that they are throwing their masks and gloves into the ocean, not thinking how their behaviors would affect the marine ecosystem. People should know how to take their responsibilities on their behaviors to became mature citizens...

I hope this pandemic would end soon~

Green Cheers!~
Posted 01-07-2020 02:03

ALOK DHAKAL