Human Impact on Ocean Productivity

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Oceans flourish through increased productivity, still, potential exhaustion though extinction is casting out a possible “tragedy of commons”, hook, line, and sinker. From thriving to potential empty oceans; the environmental and human impact on our oceans remains extensive, with over one-half of the world’s fish populations being exploited, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Additionally, the expected depletion of our ocean species according to scientists within a 2006 scientific journal, predict the total collapse of all oceanic species by the year 2048 (Withgott & Laposata, 2012). Oceanic productivity may have potential toward recovery by assigning no-fish zones and marine reserves. The capability to shift the tides toward replenishing our oceans should also combine monitoring and protecting its productivity by encouraging oceanic reef systems and decreasing over-fishing.

However, according to Jane Lubchenco, the author of the article “Marine Reserves Restore Ecosystems”; marine reserves are areas of protected ocean which are established for the protection from destructive activities. Their goal is to protect species as well as their habitats which include a combination of conservation and fishery benefits (Withgott, Laposata & Lubchenco, 2008). Therefore, an attention on fishery management is crucial in combination with pollution control solutions, which may become available toward solving the loss of oceanic productivity. Furthermore, traditional fishery management and marine reserves does not counteract productivity to restore the oceanic ecosystem.

However, in contrast to Lubchenco, is Michael Leech, in the article, “No-Fishing Zones Do Not Prevent Overfishing”; his reasoning is ...

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...ewing oceans and waterways productivity. Subsequently, putting stricter conservation laws in place,

along with policies of supplementary diversity through interventions and education that may help support to help facilitate and rejuvenate flourishing oceanic productivity within the depleted tragic commons; casting out, the hook, line and sinker, and reeling-in replenished and restored resources, as well as the return of ocean species, renewed and thriving in abundance productivity.

Works Cited

Withgott, J., & Laposata, M. (2012). Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Stories (Fourth ed., pp. 254-273). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Withgott, J., Brennan, S., Manning, K., & Withgott, J. (2008). Viewpoints to accompany Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, Third Edition (pp. 36-37). Relevance San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.

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