ABOUT
It is easy to look out across the ocean and see water but our oceans are not just water, they are living breathing entities that shape and affect our planet immeasurably. Our planets surface is 71% covered in water and comprised from our five world oceans Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern. These five oceans are identified due to geological positioning but truly have no borders making our planet an ocean world. Our oceans do so much for our everyday lives such as producing more than half of the oxygen and absorbing peak amounts of the carbon from our atmosphere. Our world’s oceans regulate our climate and provide us with immense amounts of food and recreation. Life came from the ocean and we depend on it everyday and always will. This important oceanic system is only hardly protected though. Only about 2.8 percent of the world ocean is protected and less than 1 percent are marine protected areas.
Marine protected areas are monitored areas of ocean that have restrictions from human activities such as fishing and pollution to protect and conserve natural marine processes. Most marine protected areas are often located near our shores and coastlines, which make them extremely important for us to recognize. The importance of acknowledging these areas aims to educate people on the ways that theses zones provide a refuge for marine ecosystems and provide us with healthy coastlines for recreation. These zones have been implemented along our coastlines worldwide due to human impacts having detrimental effects on these habitats. Issues such as water quality, water pollution and over fishing are major reasons for marine protected areas. Ways in which these areas benefit derive from marine conservation and marine productivity. The goal of safe surf and seas aims to represent the importance of these crucial natural areas while exposing the amazing opportunities these areas present. Marine life is directly benefited from these areas along with providing us with beautiful sustainable recreation sources in our oceans playground.