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At CaliCase, our love for water runs deep. From snorkeling to kayaking, fishing to sailing, we all have one thing in common – we’re aquaphiles, and we live for our days by the sea.
That’s why it’s important to all of us to do what we can to help keep the amazing waterways of the world healthy and safe – and it’s a huge part of the CaliCase vision.
That’s why we’ve made a commitment to donate a portion of every one of our purchases to the Ocean Conservancy, an organization that seeks to find solutions for healthy oceans and the wildlife and communities that depend on them.
With every breath we take, and every drop we drink, the ocean is at the center of who we are as inhabitants of this planet. Every time you catch a wave, explore a reef, or cast a reel you’re touched by the gifts of these vast bodies of water.
Most people only think about the ocean when they’re relaxing at the beach on a summer getaway, or engaged in watersports while on vacation. But the truth is, these vast bodies are a part of all of our daily routines, sometimes in ways that you might find surprising.
Whether you live near a beach, in a big city, or way out in the countryside, the Ocean has a profound effect on all of our daily lives.
The planet depends on the health and vitality of the oceans to sustain it. Today, more than ever, our oceans face major threats from plastic pollution. These threats have become so extensive that more than 40% of the world’s oceans have been severely affected in some way.
From bags caught in fishing lines to bottles bobbing in the ocean, the evidence of our plastic addiction is everywhere.
Getting rid of all of this plastic causes problems for the planet, as a staggering 95% of the plastic we use (and toss) is discarded after just a single-use, and less than 12% of discarded plastic is recycled.
Sadly, much of the plastic that doesn’t make it to recycling facilities end up in our oceans, causing massive toxic garbage patches to form in oceans around the world.
One of the most well-known patches, because of its enormous size, is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch spans from the West Coast of North America to Japan.
The patch is actually composed of two patches: the Western Garbage Patch, off the coast of Japan, and the Eastern Garbage Patch, located between the U.S. mainland and the Hawaiian islands.
The crazy thing about these patches is that they don’t actually appear to be an island of water bottles and plastic pack rings floating along the ocean surface. The debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is accumulated from non-biodegradable plastics that do not break down. Over time, the plastic breaks into tiny pieces.
Over time, the sun starts to break down this discarded plastic into tinier and tinier pieces, known as microplastics, through a process known as photodegradation.
Marine debris can be very harmful to all sorts of sea life. Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellies. Albatrosses mistake plastic resin pellets for fish eggs and feed them to chicks, which eventually causes them to die from starvation.
But making matters worse, as these small particles eventually break off and disperse, they are ingested by even smaller forms of marine life, including plankton, powerful organisms that play a critical role in producing the air that we breathe.
Plankton takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water and sequesters it in deep ocean sinks. When microplastics threaten plankton populations, they can’t do their job, and more carbon will re-enter the waters and atmosphere.
And the negative effects don’t stop at the coast. As these small particles eventually spread through the ocean bodies, they are ingested by the fish we eat, entering the food supply, and ultimately affecting our everyday diet.
Because these garbage patches are almost entirely made up of these tiny bits of plastic, they can’t always be seen by the naked eye. In fact, most satellite imagery doesn’t show the giant patches of garbage. From the sky, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch looks like a big cloudy bowl of soup.
The seafloor beneath these soupy patches may also be underwater trash piles, as recent studies have revealed that about 70% of marine debris sinks to the bottom of the ocean, causing yet another cause for concern.
All of this information might seem like a lot to digest, literally. But to break it down into simpler terms, we’ve put together a list of nine reasons why the oceans are so important in our daily lives – and why we, at CaliCase, have made it our mission to help save these great bodies of water.
1) It helps us breathe: Phytoplankton is responsible for 50 to 70% of the earth’s oxygen. that’s more than all of the world’s rainforests combined. Like land-based plants, they contain chlorophyll to capture sunlight and use photosynthesis to convert it into energy, producing oxygen as a byproduct.
2) Regulates climate: Covering 70% of the earth’s surface, oceans transport heat from the equator to the poles, regulating climate and weather patterns. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 90% of global warming patterns are related to ocean activity.
3) Transportation: Humans have always traveled across the oceans, but it still remains one of the most widely used means of transportation on earth. In fact, 76% of all US trade involves marine transport.
4) Recreation: The United States shoreline measures 95,471 statute miles, and statistics show that 180 million Americans visit the country’s coasts every year. But aside from basking on the beach, the ocean offers a pool of recreational opportunities for water lovers around the world.
From snorkeling to kayaking, whale watching to sailing; watersports to scuba diving, the world’s population turns to the ocean for fun and adventure.
5) Economy: Oceans have a tremendous impact on the nation’s economy.
6) Jobs: Estimates show that by 2030, ocean-based industries will employ more than 40 million workers worldwide. The biggest share of those jobs is likely to be in the fisheries sector, followed by tourism.
The ocean economy is of great importance to developing countries, where close to 3 billion people rely on the sea for their livelihoods.
7) Food: Fish is on the menus of billions of people around the world every day, accounting for almost 16% of all animal protein consumed by humans. And there’s more to seafood than fish, crustacea, and other edible creatures. A range of algae and sea plants are also commonly used in cooking.
The ocean’s food supply isn’t just healthy and tasty, food sourced from the world’s seas is far less detrimental to the planet. But a major challenge around the globe is to obtain these benefits without compromising the ability of the ocean to continue to provide such benefits for future generations.
Movements toward sustainability to preserve the ocean’s food supply have been growing in recent years, as more of the planet leans to the seas for its health and eco-friendly benefits.
8) Medicine: Over the past 30 years, scientists have extracted at least 20,000 new biochemical substances from marine creatures. From sponges to slimes, scientists have plumbed the ocean’s depths for medications that treat ailments like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease.
And as advances in diving technology are expanding underwater explorations to difficult-to-reach locations, such as deep-sea hot vents and seabed sediments, a world of new biochemical resources is reaching the surface.
9) Biodiversity: The ocean is not just a source of food, fun, and financial benefits, its biodiversity is incredible.
Due to the vastness of the oceans, which cover over 70% of the planet’s surface, and are up to 11,000 meters deep, 91% of species in the ocean are still yet-to-be-discovered.
While no one knows the exact number of species that live in the sea, we do know that the ocean is home to millions of creatures with an endless number of resources, essential to the overall health and survival of the planet.
Offering infinite possibilities, the oceans provide an endless number of health, economic, and life-sustaining benefits to the planet. Recognizing the impact that plastic pollution is having to the world’s oceans, Ocean Conservancy has sought to find solutions that maintain the health of these waterways and the wildlife and communities that depend on them.
Since its birth in 1971, the organization has sought to play a role in ocean survival by inspiring young people to care and take action. By summoning thousands of young water lovers to volunteer their time, with a project called International Coastal Cleanup, their mission is to educate the world’s youth about the impact that plastic pollution has on the planet. Each year, these volunteers participate in a worldwide cleanup, collecting plastic from coastlines across the globe.
Because of its commitment and dedication to keep oceans safe and protected, CaliCase has joined forces with Ocean Conservancy so folks like us can continue reaping the benefits of the ocean’s bounty for generations and generations to come.
CaliCase is proud to be a part of the effort, which is why we donate $1 from every purchase to the Ocean Conservancy organization.
We urge you to do what you can to help save our world’s oceans by doing your part in the way that you live each day. One way you can help is by choosing CaliCase’s line of waterproof phone cases, dry bags, and water-resistant beach towels the next time you head out on a water adventure.
Join the CaliCase effort and help us make waves towards a healthy planet.
