Today 8 June marks World Oceans Day, as part of World Oceans Week, with the key theme of 2025 being “sustaining what sustains us”.
At Marine Dynamics, our ocean’s health, as well as its inhabitants, are at the forefront of our work. Each trip equips us with increased knowledge of the animals sighted, whilst offering clients a deeper understanding of the ecosystem services provided by marine life.
Operating with the motto “Discover, Protect and Educate”, yesterday saw a fantastic educational collaboration between Marine Dynamics and Mulu National Park in Borneo. Situated inland with rainforest ecosystems, the park staff were able to learn about the ocean’s contribution to sustaining life on Earth. Marine biologist Amy Webber delved into South Africa’s coastline, a unique environment shaped by the meeting of the cold Benguela Current (Atlantic Ocean) and the warm Agulhas Current (Indian Ocean), bringing rich and diverse marine life to the region. These currents create nutrient rich waters that support unique ecosystems, from kelp forests to vibrant fish populations and important marine species like sharks, whales and dolphins. The interaction of these currents also influences the climate, weather patterns, and local fisheries, making South Africa’s oceans vital to both nature and the economy.
The basis of all marine life is supported by single-celled organisms, called phytoplankton. Just like terrestrial plants, photosynthetic processes produce oxygen as a by-product, contributing to over 50% of all oxygen on Earth. Despite only making up 1% of all plant biomass on the planet, we owe every second breath we take to these building blocks of the food web. Each marine organism from that stage holds a place in maintaining the delicate balance of oceanic ecosystems that support not only the inhabitants of our oceans, but food security and societies dependent on coastal environments, through sustenance, tourism and climate mitigation. From the smallest microscopic plankton to the astronomically sized blue whale, all animals support the movement of carbon, the basis of all life on Earth, emphasising the importance of species and habitat protection.
The range of extractive fishing methods, such as trawling and longlining of fish species, benthic crustaceans and sharks are pushing our oceans to a vulnerable state. Once vibrant, diverse marine communities are left as barren underwater deserts. The approach to marine food resources needs to be adjusted, allowing oceanic food webs to thrive and sustain themselves, and in turn, sustain us.
As the blue lungs of our planet, marine conservationist Sylvia Earle put it plainly; “No blue, no green. No ocean, no life”. To ensure life, our ocean’s health has to be prioritised. To view the seminar, follow the link to our YouTube channel:
Global connections are paramount to the success of conservation, later this month World Rainforest Day will be celebrated in collaboration with Mulu National Park as we learn more about the terrestrial ecosystems that contribute to Earth’s survival, expanding our knowledge on the connectivity of the blue and green lungs of our planet.
