Ever since I can remember, I have always heard about the importance of trees and how trees are linked to the world’s oxygen supply. So without trees, those inhabiting Earth, which would be us humans, would die. But a topic that’s rarely brought up in the fight for Earth is the role of the ocean and the marine organisms within the ocean. For example, according to a Ted Talk by oceanographer Sylvia Earle, 12% of land is protected, but only 0.8% of the ocean is protected. The reason why the ocean needs to be protected and cared for more is because it has a large impact on several aspects of our day-to-day life as well as future life. Cal Lutheran alumni and professor, Tessa Page, is educating her students in her Current Issues and Marine Biology class about the importance and impact of our ocean. With her knowledge from studying climate change and researching the affects, Professor Page has given some insight on how the ocean changes our life and how we can make a difference. Photo courtesy of Tessa Page
Her Campus Cal Lutheran: How did you become interested in marine biology?
Tessa Page: I was about 7 years old when my parents took me to the Vancouver Aquarium, and I was instantly fascinated with the marine life. I think my exact words were “how do they live underwater, and how come I can’t?” Since then, I have always been curious about marine animals and how they cope with living in the ocean, especially those animals living in fragile environments, like coral reefs, or harsh, ever changing environments, like intertidal zones. Time only solidified my love for the ocean and my desire to learn more about its inhabitants.
HCCLU: What did you do after graduating from Cal Lutheran?
TP: I went on to do my Master’s at Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, where I studied the effects of climate change (ocean warming and ocean acidification) on marine species.
HCCLU: What are you passionate about?
TP: Currently, my passions definitely lie in what’s next. What does our changing ocean mean for future life? Will life be able to cope with these future changes?
HCCLU: Do you have any general advice for college students? Any advice for students hoping to pursue a career in marine biology?
TP: Stay motivated and find things you love to do which relate to your career desires and this will enable you to keep you inspired.
HCCLU: If you research a specific topic, what is it and why did you choose this topic?
TP: I currently research the effects of climate change variables, such as ocean warming, ocean acidification, and decreasing oxygen content on marine organisms. This is what I’m very passionate about because it’s an inevitable truth that’s occurring on our earth and in our oceans. I definitely want to continue this work, and possibly look at the ability of marine organisms to acclimate to future changes in our ocean, as there is hope in that.
HCCLU: What is one of the saddest things you have learned since starting your education in marine biology?
TP: This is a good question, as I teach a class all about current issues our oceans are facing. Climate change is depressing, and what we could see happen to our future oceans and what is already happening to our oceans is very scary. The possibility that coral reefs will be gone within the century is chilling. Additionally, marine pollution and overfishing are heartbreaking. It’s expected that by 2050, there will be more plastic in our ocean than fish. And, overfishing is killing off all the big fish and marine mammals in our ocean. Can you imagine 71% (and rising) of our planet being covered in plastic oceans with no large marine life?!
HCCLU: Can you explain, in a general sense, what is happening in the ocean today?
TP: Our oceans are at risk. Climate change is driving temperatures all across the ocean at surface and at depth to increase, to levels we haven’t seen in more than 100,000 years. Last time our oceans were this warm, sea level was 20-30 ft higher. Warming is also driving sea ice loss, to the point at which we could have an iceless Arctic in the summer very soon. CO2 in our atmosphere is being absorbed by the ocean, causing ocean pH to decrease to dangerous levels in which marine organisms will start to feel the impacts. Our oceans are changing due to human driven climate change faster than they have in 300 million years. Overfishing is causing many large and long living fish species to have population declines of over 90% and the amount of trash in our oceans is staggering. Whales, sea turtles, albatross, sharks, and all the other big marine species people know and love are consuming plastic and dying, or getting caught in fishing lines or nets and drowning or being tossed overboard finless and still alive, with no way to swim or move oxygenated water over their gills.