I remember laying at the bow of the boat and being completely enchanted with the ocean and the creatures that live within it.
During those hot sunny days I never imagined myself needing to protect the ocean. I thought it was something precious that everyone would care about and always be able to enjoy.
For 17 days in June, I was aboard the research vessel Bellows. Stan Locker, a researcher from the College of Marine Science, received a federal grant to make a map of the uncharted sea floor. Our goal was to use side scan sonar to make a bathymetric map of a place just south of Key West called Hawk Channel and discover where certain corals are located.
I was excited to be out to sea for two weeks; nothing like being on the water and lulled to sleep by the rocking of the boat.
The reason for the bathymetric map is part of the reason why I work so hard toward sustainability.
Aside from being a magnificently colored habitat for many species of fish and plankton, corals are important to the ocean’s health. A collection of coral can be known as a “carbon sink,” meaning it balances the chemistry of the ocean by trapping carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
But corals are dying off, primarily due to human-caused pollution. Overfishing is also a factor. When algae-eating fish disappear, the algae flourishes and can out-compete the coral, causing it to die off.
The map we made will be entered into a federal database and scientists will utilize it in their research discussing topics such as coral health, single-celled marine phytoplankton and climate change.
Last year, a friend new to my enthusiasm for the environment asked why I care so much. All I could do was smile politely as everything, good and bad, flashed through my head. About what it looks like in West Virginia where they blow up mountaintops for coal. But in response to the devastation, people all over America are coming together to demand renewable energy such as solar and wind.
I care because I have hope. Environmental degradation will cause shortages and decrease the quality of life as we know it. It’s not too late. I care because I don’t want to have to worry about destruction and how it will affect our lives and the lives of future generations.
Lauren Reilly is a senior majoring in environmental science and policy and director of Student Sustainability Initiatives.
