Five of the biggest threats to life in the ocean

Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by the ocean, which is-perhaps unsurprisingly given its size-home to over 90% of the planet's living species, from plants and fish to reptiles and mammals.

The ocean also plays a critical ecological role. It supports aquatic phytoplankton, which produce an estimated 50% of the oxygen that we breathe and act as one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, sequestering vast amounts of atmospheric CO2 and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

However, despite the ocean playing such a significant role in the health of the planet and being home to a plethora of animal and plant species, it is under constant threat due to a variety of human activities.

That's why, at IFAW, we work hard to protect marine habitats and the species that live in them. As part of our marine conservation work, we're campaigning to reduce shipping speeds and reroute shipping lanes. We also rescue marine animals like dolphins that have fallen victim to the threats listed below.

In this blog, we look at five of the biggest threats to life in our ocean and explore the efforts being made to protect one of our most valuable resources.

Often overlooked because it can't be seen, ocean noise is a significant threat to a number of marine species. Animals like whales and dolphins that hunt and communicate using sound are severely impacted by excessive noise caused by shipping activity, military sonar, and seismic exploration by oil and gas industries. This noise can disturb and disorient animals, preventing them from finding food, meeting a mate, and detecting predators-ultimately threatening their very survival.