NASHIK: World Ocean Day is celebrated internationally every year on June 8th to generate public interest in ocean protection and sustainable management of its resources. UN officially recognised this day in 2008. Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) originally put forth this day’s concept at the Earth Summit-United Nations Conference on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
The theme for 2021 is “The Ocean: Live and Livelihoods.” The year’s campaign focuses on shedding light on the ocean’s wonders and how it supports humanity and development. Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and the Southern Antarctic Ocean contribute to livelihood, employment, development, and oxygen. In this article, we will throw light on some of the important facts about the Indian Ocean.
Some facts about the Indian Ocean
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Covers 20% of the Earth’s surface
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Limited marine animal life due to higher water temperature of the water
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Has the highest concentration of dissolved and floating hydrocarbons
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Has the maximum negative water balance Single source of water with highest & lowest salinity levels
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Has several tectonic plate boundaries, including the Rodrigues Triple Point, where African, Indo-Australian, and Antarctic plates merge
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Has lowest oxygen content due to a greater evaporation rate than incoming water stock
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Receives 6000 Km of river runoff from various parts, including two of the biggest rivers- Ganga and Brahmaputra
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Caters to the most important ports Oil deposits contributing to 40% of the world’s production
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Has a submerged continent
Harmful activities contributing to the ocean’s destruction
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Drilling, Mining, destructive anchoring, and removal of corals have led to habitat destruction underwater.
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Increased Carbon di Oxide in the atmosphere has led to ocean acidification.
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An increase in chemical spills in oceans from the industries affect animals via ingestion and hampering the reproductive cycle in the long run.
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Oil spills damage the life of birds, fish, ocean plants, and other mammals.
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Underwater noises from construction, shipping, and naval vessels affect the behaviour of many marine species. The results can be seen as the breeding success reduces.
