Sea conservation -- help save our seas!

Sea resources

• Materials harvested from the sea are used in everyday household products such as medicine, toothpaste, cosmetics, and fertilizers.
• Fish from the seas are the largest source of wild or domestic protein in the world.
• Coral has been used to replace bone grafts since its structure is close to that of human bone.
• Over 90% of trade among the world's countries is carried by sea.
• Half the communication lines in the world are via underwater cables.

Pollution of the seas

• The largest amount of oil entering the seas from human activity is from industrial waste and automobiles. Once there, oil has a huge impact on sea ecosystems.
• There are no federal requirements for notifying beach goers when water-quality standards are violated. It is completely up to local officials to test the water and determine whether the level of contamination is safe enough to keep the beaches open.
• New household cleaning, gardening, and automotive products are created each year. Most of these will seep into the groundwater as a pollutant after improper disposal.
• The mostly frequent item found in beach cleanups is plastic pieces, followed by plastic foam, plastic utensils, pieces of glass, and cigarette butts.
• The most common forms of damage to coral reefs are causing by tourists taking samples, by commercial harvesting for sale to tourists, and by cruise ships carelessly dropping anchor on reefs.
• Fertilizer runoff in the seas causes oxygen depletion. This creates "dead zones" in the seas.

Green daily choices

• Spend a day at a local beach learning all you can about the local marine environment.
• Leave the beach cleaner than it was when you arrived.
• If you fish, practice catch and release fishing if you don't need them for dinner. Take photos, not fish.
• Avoid patronizing restaurants that serve non-sustainable seafood such as Chilean sea bass. Carry a card with you listing sustainable choices.

Go green at home

simple ways to conserve water

• Install a water-saving toilet.
• Take shorter showers.
• Install low-flow faucets and shower heads.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Run only full dishwasher and laundry loads.
• Collect rainwater in barrels to water your garden.
• Choose native plants instead of a ''traditional'' grass lawn. They're adapted for your local climate.
• Avoid chemical fertilizers in garden; they pollute groundwater.