“The sea is everything… It is an immense desert where man is never alone for he feels life, quivering around him on every side.”

— JULES VERNE
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Marine ecosystems cover approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface and contain approximately 97% of the planet’s water.

Why is aquatic ecosystem health important to humans? Because everything is connected, where an ecosystem is out of balance eventually humans will begin to suffer as well. Our health and many of our activities are dependent on the health of aquatic ecosystems. Most of the water that we drink is taken from lakes or rivers. If the lake or river system is unhealthy, the water may be unsafe to drink or unsuitable for industry, agriculture, or recreation – even after treatment.

The proliferation of non-native species has created problems. One recent example is the rapidly expanding zebra mussel population. Zebra mussels have few natural predators, and because the female can produce 30000 eggs yearly, they are expected to spread throughout most of the freshwater systems. This mussel species is already clogging industrial and municipal water treatment intake pipes, coating boats and piers, and causing beach closures.

Because we share the world with many other species of plants and animals, we must consider the consequences of our actions. Over the past several decades, increasing human activity has rapidly destroyed or polluted many ecological habitats throughout the world. It is important to preserve all types of biomes as each houses many unique forms of life. However, the continued heavy exploitation of certain biomes, such as the forest, freshwater, and marine, may have more severe implications.

We at Planet Scuba recognize the threats to the marine ecosystem and realize that awareness about these threats is minimal in India. Through our diving courses, we hope to make the whole experience fun and educative, and ensure that people can appreciate the natural beauty in abundance in our oceans and follow appropriate measures to safeguard them.