Marine Conservation
More that 70% of the Earth’s surface is made up of ocean. To many, the ocean is an infinite and borderless domain. Because of this, it is thought that the ocean is large enough to contain vast amount of rubbish. Every year, tones of rubbish such as plastic bottles, car batteries and appliances end up in the ocean, choking the marine environment.
In many countries, much of the wastes are anthropogenic and they end up in the sea either directly through deliberate dumping or indirect discharge via rivers and canals. These pervasive debris kills wildlife, destroys habitats, threatens human health and have negative economic repercussions. Once in the ocean, they can remain intact for generations.
| Marine debris is preventable. All that needs to be done is simply to have a solid waste management system, good legislation and enforcement against direct waste disposal into the sea. However, these strategies require coordinated effort at local, national, regional and international levels. The general public can also stop marine debris by initiating localized campaigns and supporting policy change. As Scuba Divers, we can also participate in the collection marine debris data under the “Dive Against Debris” initiative by Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education). These collected information can be used to inform, persuade and empower policy makers and other stakeholders in establishing and improving integrated solid waste management practices. |
Marine debris washed up on shores can pose a hazard to both marine inhabitants and humans. |
Marine debris like plastic nets wires can often end up choking and suffocating marine animals. |
Damage by Divers:
Diving—an activity where humans are given the privilege to explore and discover the magnificent world of marine lives. In this paradise, the wide variety of marine creatures, coral formations and underwater caves are all creations over thousands of years.
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In this paradise, the wide variety of marine creatures, coral formations and underwater caves are all creations over thousands of years.Even though these ancient coral reefs have withstood the turmoil of time, they are vulnerable and at the mercy of recreation divers. Disturbances by divers often induce stress in many marine creatures. Common examples of disturbance by divers are touching, poking/pivoting with pointers, or even simply getting too near to them. It may seem harmless, but the effect can be dire to the creatures. When the animals are stressed, it might trigger their defense mechanism. Many of these defense mechanisms once triggered will require time to regenerate. Until they have fully regenerated their defense mechanisms, these creatures will be defenseless against real predators. In addition, many marine animals like rays and sharks have a protective mucilaginous coating that provides protection from parasites, fungal infection and the sun. When divers touch them, the layer of mucus (hence the protection) is removed. This makes them more susceptible to infections and sunburns. In the long run, constant disturbance can lead to general decline in the population of marine creatures. Another common impact caused by divers is physical damage of corals due to negligent behavior. This can be easily prevented if divers avoid having any physical contact with corals and practice good buoyancy skills. Diving instructors and dive leaders should be responsible in educating new divers on such practices. Good diving practices not only protect the beautiful marine world, but also preserve the quality of marine environment which is pivotal and foundational to the hobby.
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Divers are often tempted to touch marine creatures during diving. Such disturbance to the marine creature can cause them to be stressed and potentially harm them.
Irresponsible diving practices like stepping on coral reefs can cause damage to corals and marine life. These corals once broken will require many years to regenerate. |
Sharks:
The word “shark” often brings to mind the image of a Great White Shark attacking humans in the movie “Jaws”. The fear of sharks amongst the general public is a common phenomenon. This can be attributed to the media. For example, a shark attack is often quickly broadcasted across the world, particularly if fatal, even though more people die from vehicle accidents everyday than from a shark attack. This heightens the fear of a shark attack as it becomes a reality for many who hear of the particular incident. Eventually, this fear escalates into hate of the animal, and thus the large scale hunting and killing of thousands of sharks.
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However in recent years, there is an increasing trend of documentary production, such as “Shark Week” and “Shark Waters”, which are dedicated to the preservation of sharks. The producers aim to debunk the myths of sharks being indiscriminate man-eaters, by producing scientific studies showing that sharks are not interested in attacking humans and generally mistake humans as prey. Contrary to normal belief, not all sharks attack humans. Out of the 360 species of sharks, only 4 species are associated with fatal attacks. So why do sharks attack humans? Scientists have proposed various reasons. Large sharks species are usually apex predators in their environment, and thus have little fear of any creature they cross paths with. Like most sophisticated hunters, they are often curious when they encounter something unusual in their territories. Exploration of an object or organism usually manifests as a bite, which are known as exploratory bites. Generally, shark bites are exploratory, and the animal will swim away after one bite. |
Sharks do not normally attack humans unprovoked, but they can be rather curious marine creatures, like this shark peering over a diver's shoulder as if he is taking a photograph. |
Scientists have also concluded that feeding is not a reason why sharks attack humans; in fact, humans don't provide enough high fat meat for sharks, which need a lot of energy to power their large, muscular bodies.
Sharks normally make one swift attack and then retreat to wait for the victim to die or be exhausted before returning to feed. This protects the shark from injury from a wounded and aggressive target; however, it also allows humans time to get out of the water and escape. Shark attacks may also occur due to territorial reasons or as dominance over another shark species, resulting in an attack.
As a general note, sharks do not normally attack humans as long as they are not provoked. So the next time you see a shark while diving, do not be afraid, and take the chance to admire the magnificence of the king of the sea.