WATER CONNECTS US
The ocean is connected to major lakes, watersheds and waterways because all major watersheds on Earth drain to the ocean. Oceans provide us with food, cycle our water, generate most of the oxygen we breathe, balance our climate, supply us with medicines and much more.
— Humans consume 90 million metric tons of seafood every year. This translates to more than 900 fully armed aircraft carriers being dredged up from the world’s oceans every year.
— Carrageenan is an important ingredient in many of the products we use every day – such as toothpaste, shampoo and ice cream – and it comes from seaweed.
— Oil is an ingredient in many of the products that are part of our daily routine, from sneakers to dish soap, and it’s also used to heat and light homes and fuel cars.
— Nearly one third of the world’s oil comes from offshore fields in our oceans.
— More than 90 percent of the trade between countries is carried by ships and about half the communications between nations use underwater cables.
— Marine microbes hold great promise for drugs and agricultural processes including anti-inflammation chemicals from sea feathers, virus killing proteins from sea grass molds and cancer cell killing compounds from soft corals.
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