On Monday, The BBC reported oceans are in a worse state than previously suspected and "at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history."
But wait a second. In 2008, Jeremy Jackson's paper explained humans are laying the groundwork for a "mass extinction in the oceans with unknown ecological and evolutionary consequences."
And in 2006, Worm and colleagues wrote that seafood may disappear by 2048.
Someone needs to just come out and say it:__ __Oceans are Totally F*cked.
Yes, it's good that their degradation continues to make headlines--once in a while--when no one important is sexting. But rather than wasting our resources to document the decline, we ought to take action.
We already know why we're in trouble: Overfishing and excess bycatch. Agricultural runoff that eventually leads to dead zones. Ocean acidification. Pollution. And on and on.
What's important is that we can change our behavior. We can set practical policies to protect what's left.
If we fail, we'll all pay the price on this crowded, hot planet. The choice is ours.**
