Blue Magic

The ocean!

The mere thought of salt spray and seafoam is more than enough to stir the soul and quicken the blood.  Clearly, Jules Verne had it right: “The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.”

Within the ocean’s trackless depths are creatures more wonderful than anything the human imagination could ever summon.  King Neptune and the old gods of the sea guard vast riches in watery mines on the seafloor.  And there are secrets cached within the dark corners of the ocean that would cause nations to tremble.

This past summer I took an oceanography class with Professor Steve Macko, a man who is equal parts geochemist and seafarer.  Professor Macko led us from the icy reaches of the polar seas to the rain-soaked tropics, teaching us his scientific lore along the way.

But if there’s anything I took home at the end of the summer, it’s that a storm is brewing over our marine heritage.  Humans are squandering ocean resources, be they fisheries, oil and natural gas, or the sea’s incredible biodiversity.  And this storm has only begun to rear its ugly head.

So what can we do to avoid the worst?  What can we do to manage our oceanic legacy?

One answer may be found in comprehensive marine spatial planning, or ocean zoning.  In the United States, although the use of ocean space is highly regulated, most of this regulation takes place on a sector-by-sector basis.  Regulatory agencies simply do not communicate with one another, and as a result, the quality of our oceans continues to decline.  But if the US begins to implement a more comprehensive form of marine spatial planning, we may be able to turn back the clock on ocean degradation.

A few of our international friends have already begun to implement ocean zoning policies.  Take Belgium, for example.  Belgium has introduced a comprehensive, ecosystem-based planning system to regulate its territorial sea and its exclusive economic zone.  Belgium’s plan includes the development of offshore wind farms, the delineation of marine conservation areas, a plan for sustainable sand and gravel mining, as well as the management of terrestrial activities that have been linked to the degradation of marine areas.

And don’t think the United States’ huge size is a detriment to the creation of ocean zoning polices.  Take a look at China.  As of 2008, ocean zoning had been established and implemented in over two-thirds of China’s coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities.  China’s ocean zoning policy divides territorial waters into different types of functional zones, in accordance with ecological productivity and economic priorities.

Now, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy for the US to embark on a journey of responsible ocean management.  I am, however, saying that it is essential that we do so, and that we do so as soon as possible.

There’s just too much magic in our oceans for us to lose.