Explorers of previous ages confirmed to the world the wonders of earth’s continents, the ocean surface, and close-in space. These explorations yielded insights about earth’s resources as well as its fragility.
Our age has generated vast new knowledge about the treasures and topography under the seas, with a corresponding explosion of both insights and exploitation.
Seamounts are a case in point. These natural towers and mountains ascend steeply up to three miles from the ocean floor. Mariners have known about them since the late 1800s, but only lately have their significance been recognized.
Like desert oases, Seamounts are pit stops and destinations for sea creatures navigating the immense oceans. The seamounts divert water up the columns, altering currents and providing smorgasbords for stationary and migrating sea animals.
Our knowledge about coral reefs has also increased significantly. Scuba gear, developed in the late 1950s, has allowed us to behold the beauty of coral reefs and their value as habitat and nursery grounds.
More recent research has shown their importance in cleaning coastal waters, protecting coasts, and ameliorating storms and climate change effects.
Viewing seabeds has confronted us with their destruction. Trawling — dragging a net across the seabed to catch fish — has wreaked havoc on coral reefs.
Amazingly, the destructiveness of trawling was recognized as early as the 14th century. But rarely has there been sufficient collective will for protective action.
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, established in 1980, was one of the first to reserve large areas from activities causing damage.
Studies of life in and outside reserves have convinced stakeholders that reserves protect commercial and recreational fisheries as well as the natural structures that support them.
Where trawling damages tiny living structures on the sea floor, ocean shipping has affected the largest living species.
Even 90-foot blue whales are no match in collisions with ships. Many modern ships are 1,200 feet in length and carry thousands of containers.
From 80 to 90 percent of items are shipped at some point, according to the World Bank, making ocean shipping’s global economic significance beyond dispute.
It is very efficient compared to trains, trucks and airplanes. Nevertheless, ship strikes and noise are calamitous to whales. Their pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are detrimental to humans.
The easy hack is reducing speed. Slowing ships curtails pollution and saves whales. That is the idea behind Blue Skies Blue Whales, a partnership among federal and local government agencies, foundations, and environmental nonprofits.
The 10-year-old voluntary program tracks cooperating shipping companies’ ship speeds and grants awards for speed reductions.
Count me as someone who didn’t believe a voluntary program would be effective. The organizers themselves hoped one shipper would sign up in the first year. Yet seven signed up and 27 ships reduced their speed for more than 2,700 nautical miles.
The public recognition and reduced fuel cost have been effective in bringing many shippers to the table.
Now, 49 shipping lines have traversed 1,596,008 nautical miles at 10 knots or less, saving 200,00-plus metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and 5,000-plus tons of Nox emissions.
The participating vessels have reduced noise pollution by 38%, easing communication among marine mammals.
The ultimate goal is to get whales off the Endangered Species list (and not by federal fiat!). This will be easier as the program extends to new areas.
This year the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary has been added. Blue Skies Blue Whales supports an ambassador program to encourage consumers (us) to reach out to our favorite retailers to urge them to ship “green.”
We will always be exploring the mysteries under the sea. Now we also recognize that with our knowledge comes the imperative to do better by our ocean.
We can’t do it alone, but neither can we leave it to others.
Just as there is no Planet B, neither are their Other Oceans.