Blue Planet Society

 

The health of the marine environment is essential to life on earth. The sea is far richer in major groupings (phyla) of animals than the land; nearly half of all animal phyla occur only in the sea. It was only in 1992 that scientists (Grassle and Maciolek) estimated that the deep sea could harbour 10 million species that have not yet been described and named, a diversity of species roughly comparable to that of tropical forests.

     

Despite this diversity, less than one percent of the seas around the UK are protected. This is comparable to the landmass of the UK having Hyde Park in London as its only National Park. This situation is totally unacceptable and highlights the fact that conserving our marine environment seems to be of little importance to our Government. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, this situation can be found worldwide.

Marine mammals do receive some attention, and rightly so, but do you spare a thought for that endangered cod, haddock, halibut, swordfish or tuna you purchased in the supermarket? Most of us have a general idea of what damage has been and is being done on land, but who really knows what harm we continue to do to the far larger area of our planet that is our oceans and seas?

The Blue Planet Society strives to increase our understanding of man’s impact on the marine environment and to ensure that wildlife in the sea is given the same consideration as wildlife on land.