A Sea of Loss

The oceans of earth are the epitome of the origins of life for our planet. Yet every year, not only do we dump eight million metric tons of plastic into them, but we have also overfished to the extent that at least seventy percent of marine life is in crisis or on the steep decline.[i]  We pollute our water with not only toxins but with vibration via noise that are endangering the class of cephalopods.[ii] The implications of these are that we are destroying not only habitats but entire food chains. A Sea of Lossby Lucy Broussard is comprised of metal and ceramic renderings of these beautiful creatures while presenting it in the framework of the terror we unleash on these ocean dwellers. 

Highlighted in this series are sea turtles, which are often deformed or killed from getting 6-pack rings stuck around their body, as well as ingesting plastic bags that are mistaken for jellyfish. As there is a general decline in fish populations, one is included to represent this. Population has gone down due to the unsatisfiable market for fish. The rate we are reeling them in can’t be sustained, and not helped by the fact that many commercially fished species’ male fish do not reach sexual maturity until they are at least 10-14 years old.[iii] Noise pollution in the ocean such as offshore drilling, ship motors, sonar use, and more are harmful to octopi and squid. Noise is responsible because the massive vibrations that are sent out damages their statocysts, which are responsible for spatial orientation and hearing, leading to an inability to balance, navigate, or properly hunt.

While it is true that the larger one’s environmental impact, the more responsibility they have to reduce it, it is equally important that every person makes a difference. It’s not only about each person reducing their waste, but more importantly, is shifting our way of thinking. The more people that are conscious of their carbon footprint, the more it will become our new norm. Removing single serve plastics from one’s life can be the first step to achieving this. From there are infinite ways to ensure our earth lives on but all this series asks of you is to begin with a small step in the right direction.

[i] Mambra , Shamseer. “How Is Plastic Ruining The Oceans In The Worst Way Possible?” Marine Environment. 2019. https://www.marineinsight.com/environment/how-is-plastic-ruining-the-ocean/amp/. 

[ii] Harmon, Katherine. “Octopuses and Squids Are Damaged by Noise Pollution.” Scientific American, April2011. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/octopuses-and-squids-are-damaged-by-noise-pollution/. 

[iii] “Top 10 Most Endangered Fish Species.” How Stuff Works. 2012. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/top-10-most-endangered-fish10.htm.