Originally published September 6 2005
Ocean life is in danger as more marine species become extinct, research says
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Dozens of biologists believe the seas have reached a tipping point, with scores of species of ocean-dwelling fish, birds and mammals edging toward extinction. In the past 300 years, researchers have documented the global extinction of 21 marine species.
Picking up speed, they pressed forward into a patch of dense mangrove trees that buckled and splintered like twigs.
The mangroves being ripped up to build a new resort provide food and protection that the sharks can't get in the open ocean, and Gruber fears the worst.
"At the end of my career I get to document the destruction of the species I've been documenting for 20 years," he lamented as he watched the bulldozers do their work.
Gruber's sentiments have become increasingly common in recent years among a growing number of marine biologists, who find themselves studying species in danger of disappearing.
For years, many scientists and regulators believed the oceans were so vast there was little risk of marine species dying out.
Dozens of biologists believe the seas have reached a tipping point, with scores of species of ocean-dwelling fish, birds and mammals edging towards extinction.
In the past 300 years, researchers have documented the global extinction of just 21 marine species -- and 16 of those extinctions occurred since 1972.
The large-scale industrialization of the fishing industry after World War II, coupled with a global boom in ocean-front development and a rise in global temperatures, is causing fish populations to plummet.
"Extinctions happen in the ocean; the fossil record shows that marine species have disappeared since life began in the sea," said Elliott Norse, who heads the Marine Conservation Biology Institute in Redmond, Wash.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service is charged with protecting 61 threatened or endangered marine species.
On Bimini, just 50 miles from the Florida coast, Gruber is trying unsuccessfully to stave off the golf resort that could bring 5,000 tourists a day to an island that boasts just 1,600 residents but supports more than a dozen shark species.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml