Biodiversity

Hello Ocean Heroes! So, a little while ago (In this post!) I asked you guys if you would be interested in a post about biodiversity. I got some yes's, so here is the post!

Biodiversity is basically the key to species survival. It means "biological diversity"; a variety of different types of species. Species need other species to survive.

As I said before, species need other species to survive; whether they know it or not, other animals are helping them and they are helping other animals. If too many species of animals OR plants were to go extinct, all the other species would see the effect.

And this is already happening! The book World Without Fish (Check out my review on it here!) portrays what the oceans could look like, in just a few years! And if fish are declining (Due to ocean pollution, overfishing, global warming, etc.) so will the birds that eat the fish, and the foxes and weasels that eat the birds!

A chain of reactions is already starting to happen, due to biodiversity loss.

Here are some things you can do to help save biodiversity!

• Support sustainable fishing. Most of Earth's biodiversity lies in the ocean, but the oceans are losing it, due to overfishing and many other causes. Supporting sustainable fishing will help biodiversity, and help sustainable fisheries keep going!

• Help endangered animals by donating. Some great places to donate to are WWF, The Jane Goodall Foundation, and Defenders Of Wildlife!

• Buy products that don't harm the environment. Our consumption of resources is actually a root cause of biodiversity loss! When getting souvenirs, make sure that they weren't made with the fur, horns, or any other part of an endangered animal, and try to not buy as much plastic when shopping!

Some seals to look for:

Oh gosh that is wayyyyy bigger than I was expecting it to be. Oh well XD

The MSC is a global organization that makes the standards for sustainable fishing, and certifies seafood that comes from sustainable fisheries. If your seafood has this label on it, that means it was caught sustainably!

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity, and certifies farms, tourism businesses (Such as hotels and restaurants), and forestry products that meet it's environmental criteria.

Some of their standards for farms are protecting natural ecosystems and endangered species, do not pollute water bodies, and ban the use of certain chemicals!

Green Seal uses sustainability standards to certify products and companies that protect the environment and human health!

Some of their certified products are construction materials, paper, food packaging, and hand soap.

National Geographic Society. “Biodiversity.” National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biodiversity/.

“Top 17 Charities and Organisations That Help Endangered Animals.” Oyster, 10 May 2018, www.oysterworldwide.com/news/17-charities-that-help-endangered-animals/.

Cho, Renee. “What You Can Do to Protect Biodiversity.” State of the Planet, 30 Apr. 2011, news.climate.columbia.edu/2011/04/30/what-you-can-do-to-protect-biodiversity/.

And that's that!

(Sheesh, I guess "that's that!" has become my new outro!)

(I really only say it because I have no idea what else to say... i'm bad at ending posts XD )

Did this post help you learn more about biodiversity? Are you planning to do any of the suggested things to help? Tell me down below in the comments!

-Rowan

Leader, Hero, Activist, Writer

Ocean Heroes