Most of us are familiar with the powerful grip David Attenborough’s documentaries hold over us, but the recently released ‘Ocean’ delivers what is said to be the greatest message Attenborough has ever told.
With a stark depiction of the negative course our planet is taking, Attenborough really urges for action to be taken – now, or never. Focusing on the vital importance of oceans to our planet and revealing the greatest age of ocean discovery, the documentary highlights oceans as a central player in oxygen production as well as carbon absorption, housing nature’s carbon sequestration underdog: phytoplankton. Phytoplankton absorbs from 40-50% of the Earth’s photosynthesised carbon, but with the depleting health of oceans, the ocean environment becomes no longer suitable for these microscopic algae. This is one way Attenborough points out how the ocean is the planet’s greatest ally against a climate catastrophe.
The gravity of the situation is all the more poignant as the big screen is flooded with the vibrant and brilliant colours of the Great Barrier Reef, and suddenly contrasted with the bleak, black and white images of dead corals, to which Attenborough adds a dismal statistic: the Great Barrier Reef is predicted to disappear completely in just 30 years, given the current course of action our planet is undergoing. The next images that occupy the viewers’ vision are those of the brutal and merciless practice of dredging and bottom trawling – looming cages of metal teeth scraping the ocean floor for miles in order to catch just a few shrimp and scallops. You’re left with the simple question: is it really worth this scale of destruction?
And the worst part? Our over-consumption of sea food and the polluting and depleting consequences have a much worse and selfish effect than on our immediate supply; those that live in poverty, such as those communities in Gambia, are plunged into further starvation and poverty, being deprived of one of their primary food and income sources. Lower fish yields, lower standards of living, worse qualities of life, and even worse for those already in unimaginably difficult positions. The butterfly effect is global.
However, Attenborough emphasises that the message isn’t all bad. There is still hope. Redirecting our focus to the oceans can still reverse the effects of human-induced climate change, with the rapid regenerative process that take place in these large bodies of water. We’ve seen it before: whale populations being pushed towards near extinction in the 20th Century, but recovering rapidly once lawmakers gave into public pressure and banned commercial whaling worldwide. There is no criticism towards fishing itself, or fish consumption, as the aim of sustainably managing underwater habitats and its animals is mutual with environmentalists. Instead, Attenborough underlines the role of governments and authorities, to implement sustainable practices, to reduce the pressure on oceans, to allow for the regenerative process to take place. In this way, maybe we can still obtain a flourishing green and blue future.