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This blog is an attempt to explore in depth the issue of pollution in the oceans, one of the least exploited places on earth. Humans are accustomed to taking from the oceans and using them as dumping grounds for waste. Studies over the last few decades have found that the oceans are under serious threat from humans. How serious is marine pollution? I got the answer from different ocean news reports.

Every year, 100 million marine animals die from plastic waste, nearly 1,000 species of marine animals are affected by marine pollution, and more than 500 sites have been recorded as dead zones. By the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. We make 300 million tonnes of plastic every year, 50 per cent of which is disposable. We have made more plastic in the last decade than we did in the last century. Eight million three hundred thousand tonnes of rubbish enters the oceans every year. Of this, 230.6 million tonnes are microplastics that marine life mistakes for food. A total of 269,000 tonnes of litter floats on the surface of the sea. One hundred thousand marine animals die each year as a result of becoming entangled in plastic and one third of marine mammals may become entangled in litter. The largest rubbish dump on the planet is the Pacific Garbage Patch, twice the size of the US state of Texas, with the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone linking the eastern and western rubbish patches and serving as a highway for waste transfer. Because of this, a small piece of rubbish that falls near California can cross to Japan. Twenty per cent of the rubbish in the Pacific Garbage Patch comes from oil rigs and cargo ships. This includes 700,000 tonnes of fishing nets. Ninety percent of the world's marine litter comes from ten rivers. These are: the Amur, Indus, Pearl, Yangtze, Yellow, Ganges, Hai, Mekong; the Niger and Nile. The United States is the largest contributor of marine litter per capita. In the ocean, plastic bags look a lot like jellyfish. Most marine life cannot distinguish food from plastic litter. Albatrosses and other birds mistake plastic for fish eggs, which they sadly feed to their chicks, who die of organ failure or starvation. plastic contaminants are found in 100% of sea turtles, 59% of whales and 36% of seals. Over 90% of seabirds have plastic debris in their stomachs, while mammals like seals are drowning in discarded fishing nets.

What should we do to protect our oceans and preserve marine life?

(1) Reduce the use and production of plastic products in the first place. Sea turtles are already frequently caught in plastic bags around their necks. They find it difficult to break free from them on their own, and once too much time has passed, their necks can become deformed, making it difficult for them to eat and move and thus dying. (2) Reduce carbon emissions from travel. Effective control of carbon emissions can reduce the level of ocean acidification, which in turn can be harmful to coral reefs and marine life. Coral reefs protect shorelines and coral reefs play an important role in protecting vulnerable shorelines from wave erosion. It is also a habitat for many marine micro-organisms. (3) Beach environment. People should take their rubbish away from the beach and stop it from reaching the ocean at source. Take part in the global campaign for a clean, litter-free ocean. (4) Support organisations working for marine conservation. Introduce children to activities that teach them about the ocean or volunteer for ocean conservation. This is the most direct action that people can take to protect the ocean.

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This was my first time using blender, so I tried to make a seahorse model as shown in the pictures from the group's sharing on how to build a seahorse model and from the basic use of blender tutorials found on youtube. 

This is a simple low poly model of the seahorse, and it is clear that this style fits the look of the game model that the group had in mind. My original idea of the seahorse was that it should be brave and energetic, so I kept the graceful curvature of the original dorsal fin. At the same time, I made the head and tail sharper and sharper, unlike the soft lines of the real seahorse, and the exaggerated "wings" that make it look alive and adventurous. I also tried to make the membrane bones wrapped around the body as visible as possible, retaining the basic features of the seahorse while making it special. The end result is the seahorse model shown in the work.

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The impact of noise on marine animals is similar to its impact on us humans. We can learn from the BeiDouWise environmental management online that common man-made noise in the ocean is divided into three main categories, namely ship noise, sonar noise and underwater engineering noise (such as underwater piling, underwater drilling and blasting noise, etc.). Ship noise is the noise caused by the ship itself, which has a lot to do with the size, function and power of the engine of the ship, with the frequency range mainly in the range of 5~500Hz and the sound intensity generally between 150~200dB. As the density of shipping at sea increases, underwater ship noise is increasing at a rate of 0.5dB per year. Excessive noise can cause marine animals to change their life patterns, such as altering their floating and diving patterns, changing the form of their pronunciation, or even cause them to be unable to avoid obstacles and have fatal collisions. Increased noise can also interfere with the ability of marine mammals to use their sense of hearing to communicate. Exposure of marine animals to high intensity sound can lead to temporary hearing loss or reduced sensitivity. And when the sound intensity is high enough, it can lead to permanent hearing loss or permanently diminished sensitivity in animals.

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The marine environment is an important part of the overall ecology of the planet. It would be a mistake to fail to recognise the importance of protecting the marine ecology. The diversity of marine life is intertwined and the deterioration of the marine environment can lead to changes and even extinction. The most straightforward thing we can do is to stop leaving litter on beaches, even by replacing single-use plastic with sustainable cutlery, mugs and bags. Marine life is directly harmed by sewage from various countries being discharged into the sea from inlets. It is also unhealthy for people to eat such fish. Oil extraction, land reclamation, over-exploitation, marine viruses, over-fishing, etc. all have an impact on marine ecology. The warming climate and the dramatic increase in CO2. The Arctic Ocean seems to be more suitable for human activity. However, seawater absorbs some of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which will make it more acidic, thus slowing down the calcification of many marine organisms and damaging the marine ecosystem. The protection of marine ecosystems requires the joint efforts of all countries in the world. It is difficult to protect if the common good is not taken into account and damage is done wilfully.

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Ocean stratification (upper and middle regions)

For a long time we have only been learning about the upper zone of the ocean - the photosynthetic zone that extends from the surface to a depth of 650 feet. With water temperatures around 268 degrees Fahrenheit, the algae in the water and the plants extending from the continental shelf are able to photosynthesise and provide a food source for the whole of the vast food chain, so there is an abundance of plant and animal life in this layer and the majority of the most familiar marine life is found here. Common krill, jellyfish, seahorses, fish of all kinds, turtles, etc., all live in this rich, shallow water. The middle layer (650 feet to 3,280 feet) is often referred to as the 'deep sea'. Strictly speaking, the light below 200 metres is so weak that plants can barely photosynthesise, and without it, a complete food chain would be impossible. So the creatures that survive here are mainly up and down migrating cetaceans, king squid and so on. It is interesting to note that seals and sea lions, who can contract their lungs for deep dives, can dive to around 885 feet to feed, but with the light fading, the temperature here is just below zero.