B. Sharper, the Pure Water Gazette’s numerical wizard, puts out some facts about our oceans on World Oceans Day.
June 2015 date on which World Oceans Day was celebrated — 8.
Percentage of the Earth’s surface that is covered in water — 70+.
Percentage of this water that is in our oceans — 97%.
Pounds of plastics that we dump into our oceans each year — 19,000,000,000. (Nineteen billion.)
Number of feet that sea levels are expected to rise during this century –3.3.
Degrees Fahrenheit that sea surface temperatures rose over the past century — 0.18.
Percentage of the oceans’ fish stocks that are now considered to be overfished — 60%.
Jobs that were lost when one species of cod was overfished in 1992– 40,000.
At current rate of overfishing, according to some scientists, the date at which it is expected that we will simply run out of fish — 2055.
Percentage of marine predators that have already been removed from their habitats — 90%.
Percentage of Caribbean coral reefs that were damaged due to “coral bleaching” — 50%.
Percentage of the marine life that lives in coral reefs. — 25%.
Percentage of our carbon dioxide emissions that end up in the ocean — 30%.
Percentage of the oceans that have actually been explored by humans –less than 10%.
