Sea study is valuable research

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published August 12, 2009

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A 10-year study to identify all the species that occupy the world’s oceans is drawing to a close, but not before rewriting our understanding of the sea.

The $650 million project began in May 2000 and wraps up next year. It has been money well spent on research that has uncovered more than 5,600 possible new species and shed new light on ocean habitats.

For instance, scientists armed with deep-sea robots, high-tech radar and extremely sensitive sonar equipment discovered that the distribution, movement and diversity of marine life is far greater than ever imagined. For instance, a blue-finned tuna tagged by researchers crossed the Pacific Ocean between Japan and Los Angeles three times in one year.

The pitch black, featureless ocean floor that covers more than 50 percent of the planet once believed to be a lifeless place is far from that. Using fine-mesh sieves to comb the ocean depths, scientists pulled up countless worms, swimming snails and other tiny invertebrates. Virtually every square inch of Earth’s saltwater domain is home to one or more living creatures.

Perhaps what is learned from the study will help create a sense of urgency to treat the world’s oceans with more care. Sooner than later, the steady stream of human waste, garbage and toxic pollution poured into the ocean will come back to haunt the human race.

Human activities that generate greenhouse gases don’t just enter the atmosphere — they reach the oceans, Mounting evidence shows that carbon dioxide added to the seas is causing ocean acidification, threatening shellfish, coral ecosystems and other marine life.

The global sea study has shed so much light on marine environments and species. The time is now to put all that data to good use.