Ocean Health is Our Health
Gathering

July 15th, 2022

The Need

Historically, people have assumed that the vast expanse of the ocean is limitless and beyond human influence. In recent decades scientists have begun to understand the devastating effect we've already had on our oceans, but addressing these issues has only just begun.

More than two thirds of the earth's surface is covered by the oceans. The oceans support an incredible range of species (millions); while providing much needed resources to the Earth's non-marine inhabitants. Aside from this, they also play an instrumental role in the climate, the water cycle, and many other aspects of our planet's life, that allow us to live comfortably. Nevertheless, overfishing, pollution, acidification and many other human actions are causing severe harm to these ecosystems; we are not only harming the environment and its species, but are altering the weather patterns as well.

Because of the oceans, we are able to survive on our planet. Our thickening atmosphere is a result of carbon pollution, which traps 90 percent of the additional heat that is released. These large bodies of water provide a significant portion of our oxygen requirements as well as the primary source of protein for more than a billion people.

The majority of the public has sympathy for the plight of the ocean's inhabitants. However, many do not realize the comprehensive impact the shifting food chain, changing temperatures, and rising sea levels are having on the planet's climate system.

In order to survive, we need the oceans. Nevertheless, we must be able to utilize the maritime domain to ensure the health of the ocean, so that the next generation can not only benefit from it, but coexist with it and contribute to it as well.

These challenges aren't insurmountable.

THE WALDEN GATHERING Searched to Discuss:

Ocean Planning

Fishing Vs. Farming

Pollutants

Ecosystems

Natural Communities

Enjoyment of Oceanic Experiences

A Sustainable World, Created Through Collaboration

Creating a world that values purpose, productivity and preference isn't something that can happen overnight. It will require not only hard work and perseverance, but also a deeply rooted collaboration with organizations who value the possibility of a better tomorrow over the profits of today.

setting the tone through INTRODUCTIONS

We started the day with a rigorous networking hike around the Walden property. A steady uphill climb among the leafy coastal oaks, let us breathe and introduce ourselves in a relaxed style as a group of individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields joined the discussions.

Common Threads in Shared Stories

“We use a design-thinking format around the table, walking discussions on nature trails, and guided meditation to inspire the group to solve big problems. Instead of the hyper-intense networking of your typical conference, participants spend the entire day outside with a carefully curated small and diverse group of people.”

After the Gathering intro, members presented current issues, focused on:

History

Nature

Self

Desire

During these discussions, participants break up into groups to increase contributions and engagement. Topics are addressed, opinions are shared and summaries are presented to all.

Importance

In addition to producing half of the world's oxygen, the ocean absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere.

Approximately 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered by the ocean, which transports heat from the equator to the poles and manages our climate.

In addition to the ubiquitous use of marine transportation, 76 percent of all U.S. trade involves some kind of shipping.

It provides us with many unique and fun activities that includes boating, fishing, kayaking, and whale watching, just to mention a few.

The ocean economy of the United States contributes $282 billion in goods and services every year, and businesses dependent upon the ocean employ more than three million Americans.

In addition to seafood, the ocean provides a plethora of other foodstuffs such as peanut butter and soymilk, which are items derived from the sea.

Many medicines are derived from the ocean, including ingredients that help fight cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and Alzheimer's.

An international conference held this month by the United Nations warned that ocean protection measures are running behind schedule; nations were urged to hurry up and implement them.

On the final day of the conference, delegates signed a declaration saying they were:

"deeply alarmed by the global emergency facing the ocean,” whose sustainability is “critical” for the planet.

"action is not advancing at the speed or scale required to meet our goals.”

“Greater ambition is required at all levels to address the dire state of the ocean,”

Global warming, pollution, acidification and others are some of the threats facing the oceans today. As a crucial step, several new international agreements regarding Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, or the Treaty of the High Seas, are being worked on. It addresses the need to establish one of the most comprehensive legal frameworks for the high seas, which account for about 70% of the earth's surface and provide food and livelihoods for many billions of people.

The struggle to clinch an agreement has been ongoing for more than a decade now, despite efforts by negotiating countries. There are currently plans to hold a fifth round of talks in New York that will take place later in August. Yet many activists say, this simply is not enough. A key moment in these talks will be toward the end of next month, when governments hope to finalize the global ocean treaty, which, at a minimum, will seek to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

And still - that is not enough.

Local & Global

Ocean health at both local and global scales is affected by a number of factors, including population growth, oceanic usage expansion, and climate change. In order to manage effectively, we need to understand, assess, and plan for these changes, while simultaneously protecting ocean resources and allowing for continued access to and use of those resources. Diverse stakeholders are typically engaged in planning efforts to identify activities that complement and conflict with one another and to develop regulatory frameworks and pathways to manage resources and activities. It is equally important to track changes prior to, during, and after implementation of the plan so that successful management of the plan can be achieved.

In order to assess the health of the oceans, we should analyze social, economic, and environmental aspects as well. The benefits people derive from ocean systems are provided by economic, cultural, and natural components, so we also should include social, economic, and environmental aspects.

Thermometer

Through the ocean currents, a large amount of heat is stored within the ocean and is distributed around the world by continuously exchanging with the atmosphere. As a result, the oceans play an important role in the global climate in a multitude of ways. As a consequence of the global warming caused by the greenhouse effect, this regulatory mechanism is presently disrupted.

The five oceans, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian, the Arctic and the Southern, are all linked together and form the global ocean. By absorbing solar energy and releasing heat, this massive body of water affects the climate. This massive body of water can dissipate enormous amounts of heat. A water molecule can heat up and cool down slowly and can store thousands of times more heat than the atmosphere. This heat is then returned to the atmosphere by the ocean over many centuries.

As solar energy is absorbed, ocean currents redistribute it. Akin to the rotation of the earth, surface wind patterns and temperature, salinity and other physical properties regulate ocean circulation. Heat from tropical regions is carried to the poles by warm water masses, thereby lowering latitudinal temperature differences (The Gulf Stream). In the opposite direction, cold water currents follow deep ocean currents. During this global circulation, heat is constantly exchanged into and out of the atmosphere, which results in the redistribution of heat over the planet.

By absorbing 93% of the excess heat generated by human activity, the oceans mitigate the impact of the greenhouse effect on the environment. However, the oceans do begin to warm as a result of this heat absorption. This is evident at least to a depth of 700 meters. These waters are spreading into the deepest polar regions and all the ocean basins. Given the ocean's size, that equates to a huge amount of heat! Despite current efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, ocean temperatures will continue to rise for decades even if emissions are stopped now.

A large natural planetary balance is therefore controlled and regulated by the globe's ocean. Without the oceans, our atmosphere would likely not be capable of protecting us today.

Pollution & Plastics

Our oceans are being engulfed by massive amounts of plastic waste, causing a pollution crisis around the globe. Almost every step of the food chain is being affected by trash, including the seafood we eat.

Due to its convenience and low price, plastic has become ubiquitous in our daily lives. Sadly, its misuse and exploitation has led to one of the greatest environmental disasters of all time, namely our waste management and mistreatment of the material. Plastic has frequently been advertised as recyclable, yet less than 9% of plastics created are in fact recycled. Much of the remaining 91% of plastic waste (millions of tons a year), finds its way into the oceans, damaging wildlife and ecosystems.

Plastic products were launched commercially for the very first time in 1907, but mass production did not begin until 1952. There has been a nearly 200-fold increase in plastic production worldwide since then, which is equivalent to as much plastic produced globally as two thirds of the total mass of humanity.

According to a 2021 report from the US Congress, the United States is the largest contributor to plastic pollution in the world. A surprising number of Americans are unaware of the fact that the US produces nearly two times as much as China, more than all EU countries combined.

Approximately 40% of the ocean's surface is now compromised with plastic debris. Scientists warn that as soon as 2030, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish because of our consumption of plastic and our behavior.

Microplastics can end up as part of marine animals' diets when plastic debris breaks down into smaller, invisible plastic particles. Human beings will eventually consume plastic as it makes its way up the food chain. It is estimated that every week, humans absorb about five grams of plastic, which is equivalent to about as much as a soda bottle cap. Extrapolated over the course of a lifetime, it is expected that we will consume approximately 44lbs of plastics.

Without significant and urgent change, we face handing the next generation a garbage dump instead of an ocean, unfit for marine life.

Fishing

Depleting resources and destabilizing ecosystems are major threats posed by intensive fishing. However, government subsidies remain a major factor in supporting this practice.

Approximately a third of the world's fish stocks have been overfished, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Current fishing methods also destroy more than the intended species' populations:

* Food Chain - The natural food chain is taken out of alignment. A dwindling population of a single species will allow that species' prey to potentially flourish, while limiting the resources available to predators higher up on the food chain.

* Bycatch - Through the bycatch of non-target fish, overfishing can occur and the effort to rebuild fish stocks may be slowed. The food web is once again altered when prey can no longer be found in certain parts of the ocean, which can inhibit the productivity of marine ecosystems and fishermen. Additionally, many protected species are "accidentally" killed through this process.

*Destruction of sea floor & habitats - Popular methods of fishing, including dragging large nets on the seabed, which not only produce bycatch, but destroy the habitat of an entire local ecosystem.

Today, only 2.8% of the ocean’s surface is so far protected from the effects of fishing.

Acidification

According to research, climatic change has already had a detrimental effect on fisheries. Species and numbers are rapidly declining, as others are relocating to locations which they never inhabited.

There are possible threats associated with ocean warming and acidification in future decades that could impact many types of marine organisms' growth and reproductive processes, potentially reducing the supplies available for several significant commercial species.

* Shellfish - many considered the ocean's natural filters - are especially sensitive to acidification.

* Coral reefs - which represent the habitats of millions of species, and crucial for small island's nutrition, economies and storm protections are expected to disappear by 2050.

Phytoplankton - The key to the marine food web and atmospheric exchanges, are highly affected by greenhouse gasses & temperature change.

In the event that you continue to produce greenhouse gasses at the current pace, there would be changes in the biodiversity before the century's end similar to the changes that occurred over the past 20 or 30 million years.

It is imperative to limit CO2 emissions not only as a way to combat current changes but also as a way to slow them down and give ecosystems a chance to adapt to them.

WALDEN GATHERINGS ARE NOT JUST FOCUSED ON TALKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS, BUT PUTTING SOLUTIONS INTO ACTION.

While ideas are shared throughout the day, we gather to create change.

In order to improve the world around us, we must not only speak about the issues at hand, but work towards solutions. The point of the discussions is to establish the framework for identifying and understanding the problems.

What follows, is most important.

Emerging Ideas

Utilize Creative Thought

How to create movement

Motivation to go from ides to solutions

Consumer Vs. Corporate Vs. State & Legislation

Media intake needs to be throttled - cookies / spam can not be the means of affordability.

There are a lot of young voices focused on the oceans and they need to be heard by the people in control.

CO2 may not be the biggest of problems for the oceans, plastics, overfishing, etc.

Team

We aim to bring together passionate individuals, groups and organizations to gather, learn and collaborate in small groups on how best to contribute and invest their time, talent and resources to innovative solutions -- and then take them back into the world.   We see everyone who joins as an equal expert at the table because we believe in the wisdom of the crowd to find solutions.
 

Francisco Chavez | Kim Starkey | Bryna Jekogian | Jon Letts

Lee Klinger | Paul Michel | Grant Barbeito | Darya Dahi

Yael Jekogian | Ryan Woods | Paul Byrne | Becca Jekogian

Danny Krueger | Krystal Moody Woods | Brian Bajari

Jeff Brothers | Nick Jekogian

Check Out/ Further reading:

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rolling

The Year of Living Dangerously

Veterati - Mentorship platform for Veterans

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortal, by Oliver Burkerman

A Plastic Ocean (documentary)

Seaspiracy (documentary)