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Oceans By Trista -

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Support sustainable fishing. Photo Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

21. Understand the Impact of Your Eating Habits

Seafood is among the most delicious and versatile food items, and they are quite healthy as well. However, you have to be responsible for your consumption of seafood to save the ocean. Be aware of the fish that you consume and where it comes from.

Next time you go to buy fish at your local supermarket, ask about the fish you are buying and where it was caught. This action will help you ensure that they have ethically farmed the fish without impacting the ocean’s environment amidst this process.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Write letters to your local politicians. Photo Credit: Salivanchuk Semen/Shutterstock

22. Get the Leaders on Board

Find out where your local authorities stand concerning ocean conservation. Check whether or not they have a plan. And if they do check out how feasible it is and whether will it contribute to a cleaner ocean. If your state has included best practices to clean the sea, then you request if there is a volunteer option to help in achieving the objectives laid down by the authorities.

However, if your state is not doing enough to save the option, then you have to reach out to them. You can write letters to both officials as well as local environment clubs to encourage a change.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Check the news every day. Photo Credit: GaudiLab/Shutterstock

23. Keep Yourself Updated

If your goal is to clean the ocean and save marine life, then you have to be vigilant and stay informed. Research about the products that are harmful to the sea and look out for environmental tragedies across the globe such as tropical storms or oil spills and be aware of the organized fundraisers or rallies that you can participate in.

Always staying updated will allow you to take preventative measures to do your part in saving the option. For instance, if you look for harmful household products for the ocean, you will realize that wet wipes that you have been flushing down the toilet have been killing marine life. Therefore, it is vital to be aware of various aspects of ocean pollution.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Know what your carbon footprint is to start making changes. Photo Credit: thodonal88/Shutterstock

24. Know and Limit Your Carbon Footprint

Carbon dioxide is not merely impacting the air; it is also contributing to polluting the water. A third of the CO2 generated by humans finds its way to the ocean, which accounts for 22 million CO2 per day. This action can result in the acidification of the water, affecting the well-being of the water animals, especially shelled species.

This reason is why it is essential to be aware of your carbon footprint. It is severely contributing to climate change, which brings one environmental challenge after the other. Look out for more sustainable energy habits like purchasing energy-efficient appliances, using lesser disposable products, or driving less.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Volunteer or support organizations. Photo Credit: Dean Drobot/Shutterstock

25. Projects that Tackle Ocean Pollution

Some transformational projects across the globe are dedicated to cleaning and saving the ocean. The Ocean Clean UP is one of the many. Dutchman Boyan Slat discovered this project in the year 2013. At the early age of 13, he developed a passive system that is made of surface floating until along with an underwater skirt unit. A 600-meter-long floater is embedded on the surface, and through the pressure from wind, waves, or current, the system works to collect the plastics.

A modified version of this unit was launched with two satellite pods, nine lanterns, two navigation pods, and a camera. The system has reached the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where it is exploring its Mission Plan. The Ocean Clean Up Project aims to clean half of the Patch within the span of 5 years.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Captain Boris Herrmann. Photo Credit: Lev Radin/Shutterstock

26. #MyOceanChallenge

#MyOceanChallenge was founded by the infamous Team Malizia – a group of sailors led by Boris Herrmann and Pierre Casiraghi. This project aims to educate and inspire the youth with regard to ocean conservation. Team Malizia is working with Birte Lorenzen, a teacher, to develop learning material packages that are focused on imparting knowledge about the ocean and sailing.

The learning materials will help students understand the importance of water, how they can contribute to saving the sea, and keeping their planet clean and safe for generations to come. By providing the right knowledge to the children, this group of sailors wishes to make the youth ambassador of ocean preservation. Over the span of years, their work and efforts have been regarded across the globe.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
Protect the oceans. Photo Credit: V_E/Shutterstock

27. Parley for the Oceans

Parley aims to create an extensive ecosystem of people who are genuinely passionate about protecting oceans and bringing positive change. The project aims to create a collaborative ecosystem where people from diverse regions come together to work on a single mission of saving the oceans.

In 2016 the project collaborated with the famous sports brand Adidas. This year they launched their line of sports training apparel and liners that are designed using plastics.

How Scientists Stumbled Upon Plastic Eating Bacteria
A beautiful starfish. Photo Credit: samodelkin8/Shutterstock

28. Help Protect the Ocean from Plastic Pollution

Don’t retain your knowledge to yourself; share it with your friends and family. The more you share, the higher will be the awareness among people. Next time when you are with someone at a beach or restaurant, share an interesting fact. With the kind and amount of water present in the water bodies across the globe, it has become imperative for everyone to do their part to keep the ocean clean.

Scientists are indeed working towards different approaches to bring effective technology or technique to clean the water bodies and plastic-eating enzymes. While this notion is still in its inception phase, this enzyme certainly holds much potential. Until scientists explore the capabilities of this enzyme, make sure you do your part to save our environment.

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