dub shark!

Sea creatures play extremely important roles that help support the very existence of all life on Earth. Most of Earth's oxygen comes from marine life alone: phytoplankton and seaweed. The ocean is synonymous with symbiotic relationships among marine animals and plant life. Humans must understand what it means to be symbiotic with other animals, plant species and ecosystems. As humans, we need to understand how many of our daily routine actions on land, and consuming some of our favorite products can negatively impact marine life, and as a result hurt our own environment and negatively affect all life on Earth.

There are solutions out there: different diets, behaviors, and simply just more awareness; like knowing that conserving water and electricity can put less strain on coral reefs. Solutions can be as simple as turning off a light switch that is in a room not being used or turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth. And some other costly solutions such as putting a solar system on your roof or trading in the minivan for a down payment on an electric car. But it doesn't stop there. Think outside the box: compost your kitchen scraps instead of buying fertilizer, or try vertical gardening. Many grocery stores are paid by the plastic industry to provide collection bins for plastic bags near store entrances, free of charge. This is a much better practice than throwing the plastic bags away, only for them to find their way in our oceans.

Exploring more of a plant-based diet will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and will help to reduce the demand for seafoods. It's not an all or nothing effort: try out one plant based meal every day. You'll be doing your fellow sea creatures and your friends a favor by also understanding what sea creatures on the menu are sustainably caught, and which are not.

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