Chikyu (Earth)

 1.    It’s Earth week and to pay homage to this lovely planet, I thought it would interesting to post the seven things you should know about the planet according to Cleveland’s own, The Plain Dealer.

                      Seagrass loss threatens dependent creatures

Vast undersea meadows of seagrasses are dying off, shrinking their rich habitat on which other species depend.the first global survey of seagrass revealed that about fourteen percent of the species are at risk of extinction. The University of New Hampshire professor Fredrick Short, director of SeagrassNet, told the BBC that the plants have vanished from the most developed coastlines due to pollution. We need to take responsibitity for our wrong doing in the oceans and other parts of the environment that was affected by pollution. Many know that it is impacting the survival rate of species throughout the world greatly, yet the majority of humans are just sitting back and pretending that they didn’t cause this because it’s happening farther away from them. This is not the case, and thus, small changes like the decline of seagrass, have large effects. Runnoff: studies at the 114 sites around the world found that seagrasses are also in decline throughout many coastal waters due to silt runoff from deforested areas and filled-in wetlands. They are also being overwhelmed by powerful nutrients flowing into the ocean in sewage and agricultural runoff. Again, I believe that the effects of runoff are not just naturally caused the environment, but that humans have a huge role the causes of sewage runoff, deforestation and other things most do not take responsibility for. Haven: creatures such as fish, sea turtles, sea horses, and manatees depend on the fields of flowering marine plants for food, and sometimes to provide a safe haven for their young. By the decrease in the seagrasses, the protection and food sources are extreme limited between animals. I think biologists should start to replant seagrasses along the coastlines as they have started with rebuilding coral reef gardens. To help bring back the marine populations destroyed by boaters and fishermen.