The ocean has a magnetic attraction for most people. In our area, long term residents, sea-changers and tourists all want to be close to the sea. The ocean is central to our lifestyles and our economy. Whether we swim, surf, sail, fish, snorkel, dive or just mess around on the beach, the sea has a magical capacity to make us feel good, inspired and contented.

But appearances can be deceiving. Though the sea may look unchangeable, there is disturbing evidence of present damage and even worse threats. A ‘Special Report’ by the prestigious British magazine ‘The Economist’ paints a gloomy picture of the state of our oceans. You can read the report at http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12798458 .

Fish are almost everywhere in decline:

• 90% of large predatory fish, such as tuna and sharks, are gone, along with many smaller ones.
• 85% of large whales have disappeared and 60% of smaller ones.
• Albatrosses, seals, turtles and a host of other sea creatures large and small have suffered huge losses.
• Trawling has devastated the sea floor in many places.
• Factory fishing has decimated fish populations and habitats even in remote areas.
• Coastal pollution, inappropriate development and habitat degradation have taken an inevitable toll. Countless millions of discarded plastic objects float in the sea, killing birds, turtles and marine mammals.
• Only 5% of coral reefs remain pristine, the remainder having been degraded or lost altogether because of pollution, intentional destruction and other factors.

As we learn more, we become aware of new and even more alarming threats, linked to global warming. About one third of the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere ends up in the ocean. There it changes the chemistry of the sea, making it more acidic. Acidification could impair the ability of creatures to build their shells and skeletons from calcium in seawater. The prospects are disturbing for the future of corals, crustaceans, molluscs and some types of plankton.

All the creatures and environments of the sea are interlinked and we can’t be sure how damage at one level will affect creatures at another. Often there will be cascading effects. For example, if ocean acidification reduces numbers of small crustaceans, the fish that feed on them will also be reduced in number. If we faced just one or only a few of these problems, the ocean might be able to self-regulate and deal with them. But the presence of so many stress factors at the one time makes this much more unlikely. The danger is that the combination of factors will cause a collapse of present systems and something new – and for us much less welcome – will emerge, perhaps an ocean of sea floor sludge, algal blooms and jellyfish.

In case anyone thinks this would not matter, consider that 50% of the atmosphere’s oxygen is produced by the plants of the sea; that ocean currents control our climate; that fish are the main animal protein for over 1 billion people; and that healthy marine environments underpin our tourist industry. Placing our heads in the sand is not an option.

And for those who think that all these problems won’t affect our pristine corner of the world, think again. The large-scale changes of global warming, sea level rises, acidification and so on are features of a single world ocean that will affect us as well as people on the other side of the planet. And while it may come as a surprise, a recent CSIRO study found that the area that is most vulnerable to climate change in Australian waters is the East Central coastal region, essentially New South Wales. This is because of the number of threatened, endangered and protected species here and the pressure of human impacts. Perhaps most surprisingly, the study points out that the greatest warming in all the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere is going to occur right on our doorstep in the Tasman Sea, due to an intensification of the East Australian Current.

While the overall picture looks gloomy, experts tell us it is not too late if we act now. Some changes are unlikely to be reversed but there is much that can be done to prevent worst-case scenarios from developing. Now more than ever it is important to ‘think globally and act locally’. You can get directly involved in the political debate or support organisations such as the Nature Coast Marine Group, Coastwatchers, and Clean Energy for Eternity; advocate for sensible coastal management policies and marine protected areas; reduce your own impact on the environment; and promote education about the issues. We all have a responsibility to ensure our precious environment is protected for our children and grandchildren.