13 marine life sustainability and ocean sustainability projects

Read more on what oceans are for us- what is marine life sustainability and ocean sustainability?

Making marine life more sustainable and working towards ocean sustainability is the current goal.

324 billion cubic kilometers of water is what the Earth is which means it is 97% of water and only 3% of land.

The only planet in our solar system that visibly contains liquid water.

Oceans are divided into two layers of which the abyssal plains consist of 30% of the ocean floor. The ocean crust is a thin layer made of basalt and the abyssal plains are the flattest features on Earth.

Divided into four zones, the oceans give way to;

1. Epipelagic,

2. Mesopelagic and

3. Bathypelagic zone

4. The deepest zone is the hadalpelagic zone.

All of these layers contribute to ocean sustainability and marine resource sustainability.

• According to the United Nations Sea Treaty, there is an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that extends by 200 nautical lines beyond a country’s coastline.
• Countries that are not part of the treaty need to also consider it as part of the marine conservation effort being made by the governments.
• Ocean current generators and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) are two ways we obtain energy from the aquatic environment that already is enough disturbance towards the aquatic environment.
• Undersea mining is the buzzword but it is a cost we are paying and the cost is disruption of the ecological balance of that local area. One area is disturbed and it leads to the disturbance in other areas.
• It also threatens the survival of different endangered species and already available species. If you know about Maui’s dolphins for example at risk from undersea mining and many other such species.
• Pollution of the oceans will increase rapidly from this process and we will have to freshly think of ocean sustainability issues.

What kind of pollution is already inside we are aware. But this is new kind- fresh oil and what it can do to us is a question that needs answering if we plan to still be on the planet.

Where are we in terms of marine life sustainability?

We are right now not well placed as the number of endangered species are rising every year. It means each year one or the other species is being hunted down so brutally that its almost coming to a point of extinction.

The world looks grim in terms of endangered species which means marine life sustainability has gone for a toss. It needs collective and effective support structure right now to further lower the endangered species number.

Here is a graphical representation of the countries that have witnessed more number of endangered species.

[ays_chart id=’7′]

What is marine life sustainability

Marine life sustainability is an issue that needs to kick into our consciousness hard and we need to understand very well that the coming times will have to be a sustainable world. But since none of us grew up worrying about the environment which gave us till now, we have no idea how to give back to it.

Most people would rather attend a meeting than water a tree, burn a cracker to celebrate a festival, a day they would barely remember in their lives than live without it. In a world of need and greed, show and power, humans are caught in a never-changing grip, and in this grip they live and die barely knowing about the simpler times, more straight things.

Not knowing is not a sin but ignoring knowledge so essential definitely is a sin in its way. We almost every day ignore it as our pains become bigger with time. But we avoid something so important sitting and waiting for us to repair us.

Ocean sustainability

Some people are trying their best and here are 12 underwater projects working towards creating ocean sustainability. These might work in the right direction in bringing hope to the aquatic world and the rest of us who live. Those who aspire to live not in fear of submergence under water one day but want to live to hold our heads high that we have saved the water world from getting angry at us way beyond what we can behold.

Here are some of the running underwater projects that have gained prominence and have received grants for standing out. These projects are trying to make way for marine ecosystem conservation. But given, that we are just a few feet above the flood line, it would be essential to find out what or which projects are working quickly to achieve their targets.

1.      ARC Marine Products for marine life sustainability

It brings two incredible products to the forefront and these are the reef cubes and the Marine Matt for enhancing marine life sustainability.

More about Reef Cubes:

Start-up country: The United Kingdom

Name of the company: ARC Marine

Composition of the Reef Cubes:

They are made of 100% recyclable materials that are primarily marine friendly.

The composition of these cubes is a low-carbon, plastic-free solution primarily made from 98% recycled products.

There will be a 91% CO2 emission reduction from these reef cubes and this is due to the three advanced processes in the picture:

• Alkali activation: Process in which solid aluminosilicate precursors are transformed into a hardened binder using a reaction conducted in alkaline conditions.
• On-site manufacturing process
• Use of Advanced casting technology

They use 100 percent recycled aggregates and combine it with sand obtained from the quarrying industry.

Strength: 20-50 MPs

Density: 2100-2300 Kg/m2

Emission: 10 kg CO2 per tonne

Materials: Meets EU Leachate testing standards

Sizes: 150-1500 nm

Use and benefit of the Reef Cubes:

There are several uses of them towards marine life sustainability;

1. People can use them to grow marine habitats in zones where the reefs are damaged. These could bring home to all those beings that survive below in reefs.
2. It can help protect life and help in aquaculture, providing coastal defense, helps in reef conservation, and eco-engineering, and also provides subsea protection.
3. They aspire to cure the reef damage that is widely prevalent across different oceans. Though they will replace the reefs that have been in place for millions of years, there has to be a solution to the destruction that is underway and this could be one.
4. They help the undersea and ocean cable lines and that particular action prevents their damage and also causes damage to the aquatic world.
5. The reef cubes allow a porous surface and thus the pure substrate for marine growth. Like the plastic reefs need regular removal, these reef cubes will not require regular removal.

Features of these Reef Cubes:

The following marine life sustainability features support the making of the reef cubes so essential and prominent.

1. It has an eco-centric design: They carve a design as per your marine needs and as per the biodiversity requirements.
2. Biological monitoring is done using techniques like eDNA, baited video, ROV, and diver surveys.
3. Manufacturing is done cheaply and they provide efficient lifting operations.
4. Impact reporting is done by scientists for a long period of time.

2. Marine Matt

Start-up country: The United Kingdom

Name of the company: ARC Marine

Composition of Marine Matt

They do not contain any plastic (98% plastic-free) or toxic materials in them.

Absolutely eco-friendly, these Matts is eco-friendly in every way for marine beings. They can be decommissioned at subsea levels in their original sites where they are needed the most. Their standard size begins at 6m * 3m. With a density of 2100-2300 kg/m3, they can help the installation of industry essential equipment.

They undergo alkali-activation; bring together on-site manufacturing benefits and so on.

Marine Matts use alkali-activated material (AAM) binder and are capable of bringing immense strength to the structures compared to ordinary Portland cement.

Uses and Benefits of Marine Matt

These are the benefits of using marine matts.

They are made of 98% recycled plastic reducing the carbon CO2 emissions by 91%.

It comes in a two directional flexibility which enables its use according to the shape it needs to take.

Features of Marine Matt

With its tapered edges, you can get overtrawlability benefits, scour reduction facility is available.

When these mattresses are placed side by side, their edges overlap effortlessly.

They are DNV GL product certified and suit lifting through the use of speed loader frames and lifting beams.

They bring a new way of looking at marine life and with the passing time make it easy to initiate an establishment around the seas and the oceans.

3.      Kelp Blue for marine life sustainability

We are using natural resources more than ever before. Under such circumstances, we are not letting the renewal happen in the right way and thus toppling the marine resource sustainability issue. If we need to arrange for a renewal, we need to understand something more essential. We need to derive our products from resources that are easily available around us. They grow without much effort and much use of natural resources.

What can require almost nothing yet grow remarkably well around us?

Kelp is known to be a wonder plant. It can grow without the use of any land, fresh water resources, and pesticides or fertilizers are what we need to look into.

It is an organization that has been making a huge leap in this direction.

Kelp is a plant which is in use as food and fodder for many centuries now.

They grow kelp in large numbers and then isolate their products that can be used by the masses at all times easily.

Some of the most essential products that come out of kelp and work towards marine resources sustainability issue are;

1. Production of biostimulant which helps crops get out of climatic stress, and also enhances their productivity.
2. Fucoidan found in kelp can act as a pre-biotic that serves the role of anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant levels.
3. Animal feed is what it can be used for due to the heavy amount of fatty acids, fucoidans, carbohydrates, and so on.
4. Alginates come easily from kelp and act in the food industry as food thickeners, biofilms, bio packaging units and so on. Alginates are known for their viscosity and are also easily degradable and compatible with other biological products.

4.      Plant a Million Corals towards marine life sustainability

Corals are home to millions of different species but as we lose them to pollution and immense marine resource uses, we come to a point where we need to see if we can do something to save these populations. How are corals and these marine living beings useful? We might not know their real role but then they do have an incredible role around us.

Now with 20%-40% of the corals lost, Plant a Million Corals is one of the organizations that is doing incredible work in this direction. Dr. David Vaughan is capable of growing back the fast growing and resilient species they plan to successfully replenish them back.

Uses of corals for those who want to know more about their role?

• Increasing and maintaining ocean biodiversity
• They protect the coastlines
• Not many might know but they keep a check on the air quality underwater. Even the air needs to be of a certain quality to ensure the maintenance of marine life.

With this step forward, the company aims to create more jobs in the coastal areas apart from raising awareness. Also, the company aims to derive inspiring natural solutions in the right way. This step could ensure there would be a dramatic decrease in the CO2 levels around and the efforts will restock the fish stocks comfortably.

5.      Australian Seaweed Institute

While everyone is trying to make an impact, there is something that needs to be done more towards ocean conservation. Identifying this scenario, the Australian seaweed institute is on a mission to create a sustainable environment. Seaweeds have a special role in the environment.

They act as filters and protect every water body from water pollution. Especially the Great Barrier Reef and builds a protective environment around it.

The institute is working solely in Australia and plans to incorporate more seaweed in the catchment area to clear the waters of excessive carbon and nitrogen load before it enters the oceans.

The project is in the first phase of its multi-year development and is organized in conjunction with Central Queensland University’s Coastal Marine Ecosystem Research Center.

They have a 10-year plan and aim to bring about the following essential changes in the environment.

• With the help of increased seaweeds, one can get nutrient pollution and ocean acidification process.
• Increase the resilience of the reef to local climatic changes.
• Enhance the biodiversity and improve water quality.
• The seaweeds can add beneficial products to the farmers and this way helps reduce emissions.
• The project plans to generate income for the future.

The 10-year plan will incorporate the following steps towards creating sustainable oceans and seas;

• Concept Design
• Field Trials
• Pilot Project initiation
• Scaling up
• Optimization process

6.      SharkSafe Barriers for marine life sustainability

People are scared of sharks and even though they are harmless there are large incidences of sharks attacking humans as a whole. To avoid hurting marine life and to find a worthwhile solution to the problem, SharkSafe Barrier as an organization biomimics the thick kelp forest environment and also builds a strong magnetic field around the barriers to keep the sharks out of reach.

What do the SharkSafe Barriers do or benefit people from and how do they help in the creation of sustainable oceans and seas?

1. It is an artificial reef that is environment friendly and offers visible protection from sharks.
2. The boats do not get damaged in the process and all of it is built from recyclable and reusable materials.
3. The barrier does not need electricity to operate.
4. It is a no-risk zone for animals and is capable of protecting larger areas at a shot.
5. A minimum maintenance zone, the barrier offers an equally high resilience.

7.      WIPSEA

Wipsea is a marine life sustainability organization helping millions of environmentally attuned individuals with their work and in doing so managing and organizing different photos and videos all at the same time.

They have done research for almost 8 years. Meanwhile, they have helped station windmills off coastal areas, have contributed to natural parks, and have also built an app called Camera Trap that works wonders.

The app requires your device to be at least Windows 7 and with 8 GB memory, and comes with 7-hour support.

Natural parks can capture aerial images, conduct automatic photo analysis and produce density maps in the best ways.

8.      Sea6 Energy

Established in Bengaluru, India, Sea6 Energy has become one of the pioneer industries in overcoming problems of the environment and running their programs on a global scale.

They focus on sea plant farming and produce it mechanically and also use the sea plant biomass to create newer products and have contributed largely towards marine life sustainability.

They also have an R&D team that brings out novel, patented products.

Bioplastics and biofuels (red macrophage valorization through hydrothermal liquefaction) are some product varieties.

Tropical seaweeds are some other such products which they help with.

UNEP Funded Ocean sustainability projects

9. FRAGMENTS OF HOPE FOR MARINE LIFE SUSTAINABILITY

Located in Placencia Peninsula, Fragments of Hope brings together the efforts of several humans who stand to build back the coral reef habitats and work towards marine life sustainability in their own way. They want to restore what is lost in this world and the fast-depleting aquatic world.

Their project is funded by UNEP and if you visit Belize, you can take a tour with them to understand more about what the organization is trying to offer to the world.

They focus on mangroves and coral reefs and consider them to be an interconnected ecosystem. Fragments of Hope plan to replenish it and want to build it back again. They work through people and employ different people from varied professions from time to time. If you want to be a part of this wonderful organization, you can tune in here for their link.

10. PERRY INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCES

They are one of the longest-standing organizations in the world and have offered help to the Marines for more than 50 years. Coral reefs, coastal habitats, and vital fisheries in the Bahamas, St.Lucia, Aruba, and the Caribbean are where they are working to bring forth more sustainable solutions. They are a 501 (c3) non-profit institution and work to benefit marine life sustainability and play a vital role in developing life in the best way.

1. Fisheries
2. Corals
3. Research and conservation
4. Coastal Ecosystem Research and Restoration

On every occasion, these ecosystems are working to the fullest to conserve, preserve, and manage the waters. If you want to conserve these communities, you must follow this group and work with them closely.

They are also funded by the UNEP and that way they stand out as a project from others.

11. MISION TIBURON

Sharks are the guardians of the ocean and they are declining in population every day. They are hunted down brutally for their flesh, bones, and oils, and what humans use them for is sometimes not essential for human life. We waste these sharks and their valuable resources many times.

If you want to know more about how sharks manage ocean sustainability, know this;

100 million sharks are killed every year and almost everyone is a victim of a bycatch somewhere. Not just killing is the challenge but also overfishing, habitat degradation, and slow reproduction process.

The organization is working on all four fronts to restore sharks in the best way.

• Reducing their hunting counts
• Stopping overfishing
• Preventing their habitat degradation
• Working towards growing their pups and juveniles ahead without being endangered by excessive hunting processes. The Shark sanctuary in Costa Rica was established with the help of the government and using it to prevent excessive hunting of the pups is what is being targeted by this UNEP funded organization.

12. REPLANTING SEAGRASS FIELDS

The Gambia Department of Parks and Wildlife Management is the organization that works towards reversing the decline of the sea grasses in the area and help thereby the process of marine life sustainability. Even in Kenya organizations are working towards it. Especially the south western communities belonging to beach areas like Gunjur and Kartong.

The grant is taken and is to be implemented by Flora & Fauna International and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.

They will create a map for the core seagrass habitats and thereby increase the protection of plants, fish, turtles, and the Kenyan Dugong populations surviving in these seagrasses.

The organizations will also help restore the mangrove ecosystem which is an essential and inseparable part of maintaining the population of these seagrasses, and the marine aquatic habitat.

They are trying to manage the marine ecosystems southwest of Madagascar, Manjaboake, Teariake, and Velondriake. These areas are threatened by excessive destructive fishing habits especially beach seining.

Blue Ventures Conservation works towards managing ocean sustainability and plans to train different community members to manage, monitor, and map the seagrass in three different conservation areas. Their plan even extends to 150 fishers who are small-scaled and work on developing sea cucumbers and plan to diversify their incomes.  They are creating different blue zones where they are trying to spread the message for varied economic opportunities.

13. C3 PHILIPPINES FOR MARINE LIFE SUSTAINABILITY

The Philippines is planning to conserve and sustain three coastal marine ecosystems thereby contributing to ocean sustainability largely- coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses in Green Island Bay. They work with different clients and organizations to make their work easier. C3 Philippines plan to create a change in the marine ecosystems and also to fund the coastal marine ecosystems in the best possible ways.

They plan to spread awareness through meetings and different kinds of training. Women of Tagbanua, a community in Calawit found a new way to resolve their ancestral homes. Declaring an area protected for marine life by C3 Philippines is a way forward. It is how the Ocam-Ocam group is working to conserve their areas.

CONCLUSION

What can we learn from these programs except that we are trying to use them to live without worrying how they would live as they are as much living as we are? The result is a fear now, a palpable fear which can be seen rising everyday around us.

But there is also something more than this fear awaiting us and that is the coming of the water world. With barely 3% of it being land, we are planning sky high dreams. If we don’t plan a truce with the water kingdom, they may soon be all over us and we haven’t yet learned to live underwater.

All these marine life sustainability and marine conservation projects are trying to protect the aquatic environment but none is still there to make people know how to live underwater in the same way we live on Earth. Under such circumstances, calling a truce might be the wisest decision to partake at this juncture.