The Value of Marine Rewilding
From the earliest stone age boats to garum—the infamous fermented fish sauce popular in Ancient Roman cuisines—mankind has been intrinsically linked to the sea. The oceans are full of fantastical and mysterious creatures we hardly understand. In fact, it is often remarked that we know more about the moon than life underwater. Nevertheless, it is also the case that we are discovering new elements every day, such as a coral reef off the coast of Puglia, Italy in 2019—the first known in the region in modern times.[1]
Through rampant overfishing, certain industrial activities—such as laying gas pipelines and drilling for oil—and material and chemical pollution, we have damaged marine ecosystems.[2] As a consequence, the loss of global biodiversity—including marine mammals, reefs, and various species of commonly consumed fish—has been particularly severe.
The restoration of terrestrial ecosystems—from woodlands to disused farmland—is now relatively commonplace in Europe.[3] Several projects, including Trees for Life—which is dedicated to restoring the Caledonian Rainforest that once covered the Scottish Highlands[4]—and the reintroduction of various species—such as beavers, sea eagles, and ospreys in the United Kingdom—have already delivered tangible results, with a promising future.[5] And now that the significant loss of profitable fishing zones, oysters, and seagrasses is well-documented, there has also been a growing interest in marine rewilding.[6]
Marine rewilding, like its land equivalent, is the large-scale restoration of ecosystems where both people and nature can thrive.[7] Studies show that, by reintroducing seaweed and corals to various habitats, as well as practising more sustainable fishing and waste disposal, marine rewilding could help reverse the worst consequences of biodiversity decimation, while also recovering marine life.[8]
Everything on land and underwater is connected—from whales helping to absorb our carbon emissions to trees preventing riverbank erosion—and biodiversity loss is considered to be one of the most dangerous global environmental problems. Without action, according to UNESCO, more than half of the world's marine species could be on the brink of extinction by the year 2100.[9]
We have reduced the abundance of many large marine vertebrates, including fish, whales, and sharks. And in 2010, the results of a study[10] were released which confirmed that whales are more than just evolutionary marvels or sources of entertainment—they are a vital component for fighting climate change.[11]
Great whales, including baleen and sperm whales, hoard carbon in their fat and protein-rich bodies, stockpiling tons of carbon like mammalian underwater trees. When a whale dies, its body sinks to the bottom of the sea, taking that stored carbon with it and removing it from the atmospheric cycle for thousands of years.[12] A study published in 2010 estimated that 8 types of baleen whales, including blue, humpback, and minke whales, collectively process nearly 30,000 tons of carbon each year.
There are roughly 1.3 million great whales in the oceans today. However, if whale populations were to return to their pre-commercial whaling size—approximately including between 4 and 5 million members—it is estimated that the global removal of atmospheric carbon would increase by 160,000 tons per year.[13] In fact, if this were to be hypothesised as the provision of a service, it has been calculated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be worth millions of pounds per whale—in other words, if the current population size of whales were to be increased by a single member, this would save the global economy millions of pounds that would otherwise need to be expended on the reduction of global carbon emissions.
While they are alive, whales feed on tiny marine organisms—like plankton and krill—in the ocean's depths, before surfacing to breathe and eliminate waste.[14] The latter biological process releases nutrients—including nitrogen, phosphorous, and iron—into the water and stimulates the growth of phytoplankton and marine algae. And these tiny organisms, which are dependent on larger mammals to survive, can absorb carbon from the air via photosynthesis.[15]
And when the phytoplankton dies, much of its carbon is recycled at the ocean's surface, but some carbon will inevitably sink, descending again to the bottom of the sea.[16] Each organism has a role to play in the ecosystem and in creating a sustainable environment. While rewilding efforts are necessary to protect and restore this process, we must all play our part to help prevent further marine degradation. For example, this could involve responsibly recycling our plastic waste and choosing sustainably sourced food.[17]
Scientists suggest that we currently possess the scientific knowledge to create an ocean renaissance by the year 2050. And, although the measures needed—such as protecting vast swathes of ocean, and employing sustainable fishing methods and pollution controls—would cost billions of pounds a year to implement,[18] the environmental benefits yielded would be at least ten times this figure. Not to mention that there is no point in saving money if we are left with no resources in the long run.
Article tags: | -ism | environmentalism |
Through rampant overfishing, certain industrial activities—such as laying gas pipelines and drilling for oil—and material and chemical pollution, we have damaged marine ecosystems. Image source: Unsplash / Marek Okon
If whale populations were to return to their pre-commercial whaling size—approximately including between 4 and 5 million members—it is estimated that the global removal of atmospheric carbon would increase by 160,000 tons per year. Image source: Eva Bee / The Guardian
Studies show that, by reintroducing seaweed and corals to various habitats, as well as practising more sustainable fishing and waste disposal, marine rewilding could help reverse the worst consequences of biodiversity decimation, while also recovering marine life. Image source: GETTY
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[1] Lorenzo Tondo, ‘First coral reef in Italy discovered on Adriatic coast’ (The Guardian, 11 March 2019) <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/first-coral-reef-in-italy-discovered-on-adriatic-coast-monopoli-puglia-mesophotic-ecosystem> accessed 1 June 2020.
[2] Jennifer King, ‘The Destruction of the Marine Ecosystem’ (SCIENCING, 25 April 2017) <https://sciencing.com/destruction-marine-ecosystem-5777.html> accessed 2 June 2020.
[3] ‘Rewilding’ (Rewilding Britain) <https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/rewilding/> accessed 1 June 2020.
[4] ‘Rewilding the Scottish Highlands’ (Trees for Life) <https://treesforlife.org.uk/> accessed 1 June 2020.
[5] ‘What is Rewilding?’ (Rewilding Europe) <https://rewildingeurope.com/what-is-rewilding/> accessed 2 June 2020.
[6] Richard K F Unsworth and Ruth Callaway, ‘How underwater gardening can rewild the Atlantic Ocean’ (The Conversation, 6 November 2017) <https://theconversation.com/how-underwater-gardening-can-rewild-the-atlantic-ocean-85794> accessed 2 June 2020.
[7] ‘Rewilding’ (n 3).
[8] True Nation Foundation, ‘Marine biodiversity loss can be reversed through habitat restoration’ (True Nation Foundation, 27 March 2019) <https://truenaturefoundation.org/rewilding/marine-biodiversity-loss-can-be-reversed-through-habitat-restoration/> accessed 30 May 2020.
[9] ‘Facts and figures on marine biodiversity’ (UNESCO) <http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/focus-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-biodiversity/facts-and-figures-on-marine-biodiversity/> accessed 2 June 2020.
[10] Trish J Lavery and others, ‘Iron defecation by sperm whales stimulates carbon export in the Southern Ocean’ (2010) 277(1699) Proceedings of the Royal Society B <https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.0863> accessed 2 June 2020.
[11] Madeleine Stone, ‘How much is a whale worth?’ (National Geographic, 24 September 2019) <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/how-much-is-a-whale-worth/> accessed 1 June 2020.
[12] Lavery and others (n 10).
[13] Stone (n 11).
[14] Lavery and others (n 10).
[15] Maddie Stone, ‘How Whale Poop Balanced Earth’s Nutrient Cycles’ (GIZMODO, 28 October 2015) <https://gizmodo.com/how-whale-poop-balanced-earths-nutrient-cycles-1738976114#:~:text=Because%20whales%2C%20with%20their%20tremendous%20appetites%20and%20equally,and%20transporting%20these%20critical%20resources%20across%20the%20world> accessed 30 May 2020.
[16] Stone (n 11).
[17] True Nature Foundation (n 8).
[18] Damian Carrington, ‘Oceans can be restored to former glory within 30 years, say scientists’ (The Guardian, 1 April 2020) <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/01/oceans-can-be-restored-to-former-glory-within-30-years-say-scientists> accessed 30 May 2020.