If you love the beach and the ocean as much as I do, then you can use these tips this week to help reduce your impact on the oceans! The Ocean produces over half the air we breathe, helps regulate our climate, and provides the food we rely on. Sadly, the Ocean is being overused, overfished, and damaged. Using these tips can help lessen our impact on the Ocean!
- Shop Wisely – Buy products that are environmentally friendly rather than harmful chemicals. You can also eat sustainably caught seafood, and bring your own containers or bags when grocery shopping. Do forget to support restaurants who use sustainably caught, or made food!
- Reduce Waste – By reducing the amount of waste you produce by cutting down on single-use plastics, and unnecessary packaging, you will leave a more positive impact. Another thing you can do is reduce your use of pollutants like chemicals, carbon dioxide from transportation and fertilizer.
- Respect Habitats – Many people do not realize that the ocean has very sensitive ecosystems, that can be easily damaged by overfishing, recreation, and waste. By respecting these habitats and following rules like safe boating, using environmentally friendly sunscreens, and cleaning up your trash!
I hope these tips are helpful to you and that you can tell others how to reduce their impact as well! If you are interested in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has many more tips on how you can help the ocean, and so much more! https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/
Lindsey T.