mission

We believe everyone can be involved with ocean conservation in the comfort of their own homes and timeline. We are committed to provide different ways (non-monetary, creativity-based) for you to take part in preventing the extinction of marine lives and protecting the ocean. Together we can cultivate a future where humans are respectful of the ocean and its dwellers.

we need the ocean and marine life

Oxygen Production

Atmosphere

The ocean is home to marine plants and phytoplankton, organisms that produce about 70% of the oxygen we breathe today¹.

The ocean absorbs about a third of anthropogenic carbon, acting as an important carbon sink. Without the ocean, the temperature in the atmosphere would rise more quickly².

food And Economy

According to WHO (World Health Organization), about a billion people rely on fish as their main source of animal proteins³.

Marine and coastal tourism generates about US$161 billion annually. It is an important economy factor for many small and developing coastal countries⁴. 

threats to marine life

Overfishing and Bycatches

According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 31.4% of fish stocks were overfished (fished at a biologically unsustainable level) , and 58.1% were fully fished in 2013⁴.

Bycatch is when unwanted species are caught during commercial fishing. It is a result by using fishing gears like gillnets, longlines or bottom trawls⁶.

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals die as bycatch. As many as 250,000 sea turtles are caught annually. Over 15% of shark species are threatened with extinction, in part as a result of being caught accidentally on longlines, trawls and purse seines⁶ and shark finning practices.

Marine Debris

Trash is a big problem for the ocean and marine life. In 2012, 663 species were impacted by marine debris, a 40% increase since 1997⁷. Marine life such as turtles can mistake plastic for food, leading to a painful and premature death⁸.

Plastic never fully biodegrades, but breaks down into smaller pieces (less than 5mm long) that we call microplastic⁹. Don't underestimate these tiny plastics, a study shows when ingested by fish, they can cause liver toxicity and pathology¹⁰.

what goes around comes around

Seafood Depletion

The world will run out of seafood by 2048 if we continue to overfish¹⁵. Due to ocean deoxygenation, fish such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks will grow more slowly, peak at a smaller body size, and produce less offspring¹⁶.

Human Health

Consuming seafood (primarily shellfish) contaminated by toxins from HABs can cause a number of human illness, such as Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning that has both gastrointestinal and neurologic symptoms¹⁷. Because these toxins are tasteless, odorless, and heat and acid stable, normal screening and food preparation procedures will not prevent intoxication¹². 

Scientists have confirmed that microplastics could be transferred to fish consumed by humans¹⁸. Consuming microplastics indicate potential particle, chemical and microbial hazards. If inhaled or ingested, microplastics may accumulate and exert localized particle toxicity by inducing or enhancing an immune response¹⁹.

Economic Impact

An analysis by the World Bank Group estimated annual lost revenues from mismanagement of global marine fisheries at about $83 billion in 2012, compared with what could be generated under the optimal scenario²⁰.

Fishing and shellfish industries lost tens of millions of dollars annually from HABs that kill fish and contaminate shell fish²¹. 

The tourism industry loses close to a billion each year due to fishing and boating activities and nutrient pollution that causes HABs²¹.

goals

We believe that inspiration drives action. We hope that Life in Fins becomes a source of inspiration for you to take action to protect the ocean and its dwellers, even if you've not a diver. We also believe that with proper tools and platform, everyone has the ability to help save the ocean and marine lives. Our goal this year is to: