I saw a documentary this week that was both difficult to watch at times while inspiring at others. It was called Mission Blue, featuring the legendary American marine biologists Dr. Sylvia Earl. She has spent decades (she is now 85 and still diving!) exploring the ocean and advancing our knowledge of its importance.
Her research and experience have put her on a mission to save the ocean. Earl understands the devastating effect humans are having on our oceans and founded Mission Blue in an effort to raise awareness and increase the number of marine protected areas around the world. These protected areas are called Hope Spots. These spots are identified as ecosystems that are critical to the overall health of the ocean. Today only 6% of the ocean is protected (compared to 12% of land in the form of parks and reserves).
She also cautions us that everything is connected, including us. The ocean is the heart of the earth. She recently tweeted:
“The bottom-line answer to the question about why biodiversity matters is fairly simple: the rest of the living world can get along without us, but we can’t get along without them.”
In the documentary Earl shares the ocean’s beauty, reveals the ugly truth about what is happening to it, and yet offers hope. Together, we can create a network of marine protected areas that is large enough to save and restore the ocean.