Sami Learns to Save Sea Life

Sami Learns to Save Sea Life

 



Dolphin jumping out of the water

Sami COULD NOT wait to leave for the beach. Ever since her mom and dad told her they were soon going she has been very excited. She remembered the beach last year and seeing the dolphins jump out of the water throughout the day. She could not wait to see more dolphins and collect sea shells for all her friends. She helped her dad pack up her beach toys and loaded the last bags in the car to leave for Florida.

 

The beautiful beach Sami remembers...

When they arrived Sami was so excited to run out and stick her toes in the water. She ran out with her mom to the beach but something looked different to Sami. The water was not the pretty blue she remembered. Instead the water was dark green and Sami suddenly was worried. She asked her mom why the ocean looked different from last year and why she did not see any dolphins or sea shells.
 

Sami's favorite sea shell - Sand Dollar

Sami’s mom explained to her about ocean pollution and how it can really affect our beaches. She told her the pollution can hurt the animals and break all the sea shells up. Sami suddenly felt really sad. She did not want to think about not being able to come to the beautiful beach anymore. Then Sami had an idea and she quickly asked her mom and dad how they could help to save the ocean and the animals in it.

Her dad remembered seeing a sign about Marine Biologists teaching children the effects of ocean pollution. Her dad called the number on the sign and they made a reservation for three people at the center for the next day. He wanted Sami to learn about the dangers of pollution and he wanted her to learn about the environment.

 

When they arrived at their appointment Sami and her parents were greeted by Amanda who planned to teach Sami all about saving sea life. Sami saw many pictures of injured animals and pollution floating in the ocean and washed up on the sandy beaches. It made her sad and even more excited to learn about saving sea life. Sami learned many new things about the ocean that she did not know.

Sea Turtle

Jellyfish

Sami’s session lasted two hours and was filled with a lot of new information. She learned that HALF of the oxygen we need to survive comes from the ocean (3)! She learned plastic takes a very long time to break down and causes it to collect in the ocean. Trash that ends up in the ocean kills sea life because they mistake it for FOOD (1). Sami learned that jellyfish are starting to take over the ocean because they can survive in the polluted water (1). She also learned there are not many laws that can help to protect our oceans (2). Sami was also surprised to find out that ocean pollution affects humans as well! The polluted water can contain bacteria which can make us very sick. After learning everything, Sami became more aware and eager to share information with her friends and family.
 

Here are a list of Sami’s solutions, please join her to SAVE our oceans!
- Recycle and compost what you can
- NEVER throw trash out the window
- Leave your CAR at home when you can and WALK
- Pick up any trash you may find outside
- Eat less seafood to save the fish from going extinct
- Use fewer plastic products
- Grow your own food to reduce the use of agricultural chemicals
- Use sunscreen that is safe for ocean life
By following some of Sami’s tips we can help to save our ocean one person at a time!

References

(1) Kowalski, K. M. (2010). Oceans of trouble: Your health is closely connected to the sea’s health. Current Health Teens, 37(2), 16-19.

(2) Laws, Regulations, Treaties. (2013, April 9). EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/marinedebris/lawsregs.cfm

(3) Ocean Pollution. (2014). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 1p.