• Personal water craft (e.g., jet skis and waveriders) are a concern to the marine environment because of the pollution and noise they emit and the potential threat to surrounding people and wildlife. Minimize these threats by exercising caution and maintaining your equipment properly.
• Avoid over-watering lawns and gardens. This minimizes the rate at which fertilizers and other plant nutrients are leeched into the groundwater. It also conserves water.
• Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. Take shorter showers. Run the dishwasher only if it is full, same goes for the washing machine. In essence – DON’T waste water!
• Find ways to decrease impervious surfaces around your home. Concrete and asphalt, for example, don’t allow water to drain properly. While you're at it, choose building materials such as wood or gravel. Plant your garden lower than your concrete patio so run-off is able to seep into the soil instead of dumping into a storm drain.
• Use natural or non-toxic fertilizers and household products whenever possible and dispose of the hazardous ones properly.
• When washing your car you can save water by turning the hose off in between rinsing. Properly dispose of used motor oil, too.
- o Did you know just one quart of motor oil can pollute up to 250,000 gallons of water?
- o Did you know reusable bags can save Americans an average between 300 and 700 plastic bags annually? A hundred thousand people using reusable bags can save up to 14,000 barrels of oil a year.
Habitat Protection
- • Don’t litter.
- o Did you know a heap of trash the size of Texas is floating in the Pacific right now?
• Hands (and anchors) off: If you’re diving, don’t walk on the reefs or remove wildlife from its habitat. If you’re boating, be conscious of where you drop anchor. It takes centuries for a reef to grow but only seconds to destroy it completely.
• Know how the fish you consume was caught and where it came from since some fisheries are managed and regulated better than others.
• Don’t purchase marine fish or other organisms – as pets or decor – unless you know they were collected in an eco-friendly way.
Global Warming
- • Choose public transportation or other alternative means like riding a bike or walking to help cut down on the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Plant a tree! Through photosynthesis trees and other plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen -- the stuff we breathe. …
• Get your trivia on by visiting onesquarefoot.org. For every nine questions you answer correctly, one square foot of rain forest will be saved.
• Switch to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. You could earn tax rebates on top of the money and energy you’ll save.
• Another bright idea: Save on energy by swapping your incandescent light bulbs for more efficient, longer lasting compact florescent light bulbs.
• Knowledge is power: Educate yourself then spread the wealth! Read up on climate issues HERE.
Eat Healthy & Sustainable Seafood
- • Download our handy dandy sustainable seafood guide for reference. It folds and fits easily in your purse, pocket or wallet – a sure-fire conversation starter, too!
• Patronize restaurants that strive for environmental sustainability.
• Know what to ask your server when dining out:
- Q. Do you serve sustainable seafood?
>> Some fisheries are managed better than others. Some methods of fishing have a lesser environmental impact. Carrying a seafood guide when dining out makes it easy to know which is what.
- Q. Is this fish farmed or wild?
>> Believe it or not, in most instances wild fish is better for the environment than farmed fish. This is because of the harmful environmental impact fish farms can have, not to mention the antibiotics keepers must pump into captive fish living in such close proximity. The old adage, “you are what you eat,” never rang more true.
- Q. What is this fish, really?
>> Because Chilean sea bass isn’t really a sea bass at all. …
- Q. How was this fish caught?
>> Was it brought in on a long-line along with a couple endangered sea turtles? Was it dredged up in a giant net with the rest of the ocean floor?
- Q. Where did this fish come from?
>> Fish can travel a long way from the ocean to your plate. Find out where your fish came from.
• Shop at markets that sell sustainable seafood, and if your local grocer isn’t carrying the goods, ask them to!
• All fish contains some traces of harmful neurotoxin mercury, some more than others. Expectant mothers and small children should, 1) avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury, and 2) eat no more than 6 ounces of tuna fish per week, according to the FDA.
• Encourage grocers to inform their customers about what seafood is safest to eat by shopping only at stores featured on Oceana’s “Green List.”
Get Involved
- • Become an Oceana WaveMaker and stay informed! Oceana’s WaveMakers are a group of dedicated and eco-conscious individuals some 300,000 strong worldwide. WaveMakers receive e-mail alerts with information about marine wildlife and habitat as well as opportunities to write legislators and make a positive difference.
• Start a discussion. Visit the Ocean Blog for a collection of conversation starters. There you can even create your own diary to track your thoughts on ocean issues and keep in touch with Oceana staffers and supporters.
• Create an ocean conservation group within your community. Whether on your university campus, at the local church or in your own living room, find ways to assemble other ocean-minded people and look for ways to give back:
- o Organize a beach clean-up.
o Organize a nature tour or walk.
o Distribute information.
o Start a club or community group.
• Be a watch-dogfish. Report any unlawful dumping or other activities that are harmful to the marine environment.