From Mountain to Shining Sea

From Mountain   to Shining Sea

There are many reasons to care for the ocean. Whether you live on beachfront property, or high in the mountains of beautiful Colorado. No matter where your exact latitude and longitude is, the oceans affect your daily life. The ocean is a vast expanse of organisms, all working together to create a place that I call my home away from home. Some people think of the ocean as an object- a place where constant waves can bring you on a joy ride to shore. Other people think of the ocean as a food source- the place where their oh-so-delicious dinner came from. And then, there are those who think of the ocean as a miraculous, incomprehensible place that brightens your day, or better yet, enlightens your world. Any way that you view the ocean, there is more to it than the human mind can seek. While some wake up to a constant reminder of the environmentally degrading processes that happen on a daily basis, some of us wake up to a crystal clear world disguised by pristine mountains. There have been questions about why it would be important for someone who lives in Colorado to care about the oceans, and my answer is rather long and complex. So, to break it down quite simply, I am going to list what I have compiled as my top 10 reasons to care for the ocean from experience:

1. I love animals- in fact, orcas are my absolute favorite animal- I want to be able to see them one day (Soon, preferably)
2. I’m actually a fish disguised as a human- I live in the water, I need the water, I want the water. All the time. Which is quite difficult since I’m not presently living in the Carboniferous era- although I do wish from time to time that the sea would reappear in Colorado.
3. There is something so incredibly peaceful about walking up on the beach, being seconds away from the cold water touching your toes- and marveling at the forces that are causing the water to beg at your feet.
4. The blueness- talk about being awestruck- bluer than the eyes of a blonde girl in every country song
5. It holds so many organisms that my human brain would not be able to comprehend every single organism that it nurtures- although, challenge accepted
6. It contributes to the climate of our entire planet- that amazing rain you’re listening to- yeah, thank the ocean
7. It contains the cycle of life within it- WITHIN it- one of the most amazing and inspiring moments of my life was watching a leatherback sea turtle (which happens to be endangered) lay her eggs and go back into the ocean- if you’re interested, look up the Royal Caribbean resorts in Cancun and their effort to help save the sea turtle population

                                  **Fun fact: female sea turtles find their way back to the beach they were born on, by using Earth’s magnetic                                        field, to lay their own eggs. You can read a little more about this here. 

8. It is acting as a landfill-when it shouldn’t be- and causing harm to its organisms
9. It covers more surface area than the land we, humans, take up- times two.
10. It doesn’t just get its strength from its mussels- waves and tides are the strongest forces on Earth. Therefore, the ocean is strong. Strong enough to fight against all of the dangerous chemicals and objects we are polluting into it’s beautiful waters.

Now that I have been a part of the amazing organization, Colorado Ocean Coalition, I have learned even more about how important it is to save the oceans, especially when you’re inland. The two main things that I have learned are the ways to help protect the oceans. One: Watch what you do. Even if you live no where near the ocean, the river lying adjacent to your house leads to the ocean. With that said, any piece of trash, or any chemicals put into that river, will be deposited into the oceans. Two: outreach. I have met more people recently than ever before who have asked me why the oceans are in trouble. And it’s disturbing to realize that some people don’t understand more than their eyes can see. Provide outreach to your local community about why it is important for us, inlanders, to deposit of our trash responsibly, and take further steps to protect our oceans. The most vulnerable creatures on Earth aren’t the animals eating our trash, but us as humans, not being able to come together and protect those animals from our own nature.