Our oceans are in grave danger. Scientists have been telling us this for quite some time to no avail. But recently, a plethora of research has surfaced, noting just how horrible we humans have treated the sea and what the consequences of that will be. Here's a sample of the (depressing) rundown:
According to scientists, El Nino and global warming have triggered the most devastating coral bleaching crisis the world has ever had. Record high water temperatures are causing coral to go from colorful to stark white and die. We may lose 10 to 20 percent of coral reefs this year, an NOAA scientist told the AP.
Eight million tons of plastic were dumped into the ocean in 2010, and according to the study published in Science released in early 2015, that's on track to tenfold in the coming years. Those plastic garbage patches floating in the ocean already weigh up to 245,000 tons.
Overfishing is radically changing marine ecosystems and reducing the number of natural predators in the wild, and those predators are critical to keeping the oceans healthy. For instance, recent research showed that sharks are great carbon sinks, and without them, blue carbon ecosystems, which maintain ancient carbon in the ocean, can be destroyed, leading to huge releases of emissions. Another recent report by
So what does tech have to do with all of this? In many ways, technological advancements got us into this mess -- but they can also help us get out of it. Renewable energy, robots, and Internet of Things gadgets have great potential, and it turns out, there's a lot in the works to use both high and low technologies to save the seas.
The tech that can help us understand and slow the effects of climate change
One of the major sources of stress on the ocean is acidification, which happens when increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere percolate into the ocean, increasing its acidity and leading to sea level rise. It also calcifies marine organisms, basically dissolving their shells and preventing them from building skeletons.
The adoption of renewable energy and decrease of fossil fuel use can have a dramatic effect on this.
"In this area, innovations in renewable energy production are the most effective way to reduce our dependence upon fossil fuels, reduce the rate of ocean acidification, and improve its health," said Victor Zykov, director of research for the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
The institute recently installed the winning pH sensor from the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE onto its research vessel, Falkor. The sensor is innovative in its ability to collect data on acidification, and is one of only a few permanently installed pH observing platforms in the world. Less than 300 of datasets are submitted to the Ocean Acidification and Scientific Data Stewardship portal, so having a research vessel armed with the ability to generate that data is critical.
Another recent discovery may have a big impact on the carbon dioxide levels in the ocean. Tiny motorized robots developed by researchers at UC San Diego zoom through water and remove 88 percent of carbon from the water, turning it into a solid calcium carbonate -- what seashells are made of.
The tech that can reduce the massive amounts of pollution
There's a lot of buzz about the 20-year-old that started Ocean Cleanup, a giant barrier that utilizes ocean currents to passively collect the trash floating in the water. The array spans more than one mile, and it's on schedule to be piloted in 2016. In theory, it's an incredible concept, because according to research, 88 percent of the ocean's surface is covered in plastic -- most of it being tiny plastic beads.
"Ocean Cleanup appears to offer a theoretically effective solution to the ocean pollution problem," said Zykov. "However, the scale and cost of this project, without a clear economic return potential, could make it challenging to implement and operate such a system at full scale."
We'll see how it pans out. But for now, it's the only large-scale plan out there.
The tech that can stop overfishing and reduce bycatch
Tech can be useful in the fishing industry, and it isn't extraordinarily difficult to implement, either. Some companies have created smarter fishing nets so excessive bycatch isn't caught up in the trawls. One example of this is Precision Seafood Harvesting, which uses high-tech nets to identify and catch specific fish to avoid that. The fish stay alive longer because the net is more flexible, so they are less stressed. Another example is Safety Net Technologies, which has a trawl designed to make sure marine creatures like sharks, dolphins, whales, and unwanted fish aren't caught up in the nets.
The tech making research more efficient
Let's be honest, no good tech story is without some mention of robots. And deep sea robots are actually doing good, exploring the depths that humans can't reach. An example is the Wave Glider SV3, an unmanned ocean robot propelled by both waves and solar power. It has sensors, processes large data sets, and has a system that operates autonomously and intelligently to adapt to the unknowns of the deep ocean.
"There is still a lot that we do not know about the oceans, especially deep hadal environments, and we need to better understand these ecosystems before we know how to protect them," said Carlie Wiener, communication manager of Schmidt Ocean Institute. She said the organization's research vessel allows scientists to process data in real time, and researchers are working on building their own remotely operated vehicle.
They also use tech to educate the public in real time about rising ocean temperatures and the effects of acidification on coral, as well as what's most likely to threaten marine ecosystems.
"During every expedition we offer live ship to shore connections with classrooms all around the world," Wiener said.
