The ocean gives us around 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe, more than all the trees and plants. The fresh water on the earth’s surface comes from the oceans. Ocean also moderates the earth’s climate and affects the weather. In a nutshell, Ocean are one of the most important component of Earth’s ecosystem. Without ocean, our ecosystem would have shattered and we could not probably have existed. And that’s why it’s so important for us to continue to protect the ocean and the life within.

During this Pandemic, we witnessed such long lockdown human had never thought of in their life. It has many disadvantages from shattered economy, increased unemployment, lack of food security, etc. But, it has undoubtedly promoted marine life to great extent.

More fish and larger predators, such as ulua, omilu and reef sharks, have returned to the waters off Molokini (Hawaii island) in the few months after commercial boat traffic has been halted due to COVID-19 emergency orders. Reef fish populations have declined dramatically in Hawaii over the last century, with some important food fish populations reduced by more than 90 percent. However, sudden lockdown removed the disturbance to marine living beings, ultimately increasing their population and promoting marine ecosystem.

Thousands of starfish have returned to a beach in Thailand that has been deserted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The area would have been full of tourists, many people are enjoying paddling in the sea and watersports had there been no corona pandemic breakdown. However, the 2km long stretch of white sands is now empty after government restrictions enforced to stop the spread of Covid-19 banned tourists from entering the country and residents were warned to stay at home. The peaceful environment appears to have helped the bay return to a more natural state, with the starfish gathering in the shallow water as waves lap around them.

The Boulders Beach penguin colony has been in Cape Town since the first penguins made their way into Cape Town in 1983 from Dyer Island. Commercial fishing, Marine pollution and Habitat destruction have all taken their toll on the colony in the years since. But thanks to conservation efforts by people and lockdown, the Boulders colony has grown to over 3 000 birds now. One unique behavior that we have noticed during this time include when they can get back to their nests. Before, penguins had to wait until the beach was empty and everyone had gone home before they could make the journey back to the nest. A lack of human and vehicular traffic along their most-used routes down to the ocean means that they can now afford to have a bit of a lie-in most mornings, enjoying some bonus snuggle time in the nest with their life partners. They’re also now able to get home again before dark, which is particularly useful now that the breeding season is at its peak, and the penguins need to feed their hungry babies.

Water samples taken from Florida beaches have shown that less human interference results in cleaner beaches, according to data recorded by the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA). IMA periodically takes samples however this time, they saw a marked difference in the presence of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Enterococci, which are used as indicators for the presence of sewage. During the coronavirus lockdown, beaches, rivers and other waterways were closed to non-essential activities and the IMA took samples from three beaches: Maracas, Las Cuevas and Chaguaramas beaches. Numerous beaches are continuously polluted and affected by runoffs from rivers, industries, households and by beachgoers. These pollutants can vary from solid waste, chemicals to biological agents such as bacteria from sewage. The marine life in St. Petersburg, Florida, where dolphins, fish, and sharks swim freely during the COVID-19 lockdown is one of the best visual florida people have ever witnessed.

We can all remove litter from our beaches when we see it, and we can all be aware of how our diet is impacting the oceans and choosing only to eat those fish with least impact on environment. We must also limit use of plastics and disposables that could ruin marine life. Various Clean- Up program must be organized in regular intervals. Other ways include supporting non-governmental organization working in marine sector or by volunteering our time and skills to support marine cleanliness and conservation work.

References

https://www.thoughtco.com/easy-ways-to-help-marine-life-2291549

https://news.yahoo.com/recordings-marine-life-florida-during-080000948.html

https://www.curious.earth/blog/marine-animals-thrive-under-lockdown

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nishandegnarain/2020/05/16/six-places-where-oceans-rivers-and-marine-life-have-rebounded-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/#9762dc13fb05