Oceans
Under the sea…a world of abundance exists. Dive in to learn more about the wonders of the ocean.
Best believe these unbelievable facts about the ocean:
- Oceans cover over 70% of our planet, yet we know more about the surface of the moon than the ocean floor.
- The sea also produces around ½ of all the oxygen we breathe (thanks to phytoplankton, tiny single-celled ocean organisms). Not to mention absorbing half of all man-made climate-warming carbon dioxide.
- Most of the UAE’s coastline is along the Arabian Gulf, a semi-enclosed part of the Indian Ocean, formed about 8,000 – 15,000 years ago. It’s relatively shallow, has high salinity and is very warm compared to other seas.
- The UAE has a particularly close relationship with the Sea. Our country grew up on pearl diving and seaborne trade. Today, a huge part of our economy and day-to-day lives still rely on the sea – from trade, to fishing, leisure and tourism. Plus, it’s the source of our drinking water.
- Unique and wonderful creatures depend on our regional seas, which include dugongs, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks and whales. These rely on healthy habitats such as a diversity of coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangroves.
- The sea is also a delicate balance of the ecosystems. For example, coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine species. They support fish that in turn feed predators – so if one part is affected, it impacts elsewhere.
Another example of this is sharks, without them smaller fish overpopulate and harm the reefs. Bleaching is also increasing and fewer coral reefs could impact the entire food chain, the global economy and even Earth's resilience to climate change.
- Our seas are overused and under-protected. Unsustainable development, fuelled by human population growth, has weakened ocean ecosystems. This will ultimately threaten our source of food and our economic livelihood.
- The total amount of vertebrate sea life (including fish) has reduced by more than a third since 1970!
A myriad of challenges facing ocean life:
- Plastic pollution (Pollution including plastic, debris associated from unregulated shipping activities, and chemical pollution such as discharge from land that can lead to eutrophication and Harmful Algal Blooms
- Unsustainable fishing, seafood production and consumption
- Invasive Species
- Climate change: including, rising water temperatures and salinity, changes in storm events, acidification
- Direct loss and degradation of habitats due to coastal development
