SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation & Travel Issue 10, March 2016 | Page 89

From aloft, my view of the horizon conveyed the utter immensity of the ocean but what struck me most was the realization of the ocean’s vulnerability. The beautiful waters below—those that had dazzled me on my first open ocean swim—I saw now as an irreversible truth.

Plastics have played a critical role in the advancements of science, technology, and medicine. Plastics have saved lives, supported multi-billion dollar industries, and introduced modern conveniences. But we must learn to manage their life cycle in a more sustainable way.

As country borders dissolve into no-man’s land, I wonder who will ultimately take responsibility for protecting this vast blue space. It’s a matter of policy, perhaps, but it’s also a matter of personal choice. You and I can stop using plastic bags, bring a reusable mug for our coffee, and ensure that the plastic products we do use end up in our local recycling system. And we can spread the word.

My transatlantic trip taught me that the ocean can put on a tough face in a storm, and reveal a softer side with calm evening sunsets, but somehow even a space so vast and powerful can buckle at the knees to the impact of our consumer society. Yes, we might succumb to the most powerful of Mother Nature’s forces, but on a longer time scale, are we truly capable of altering the ocean’s ancient processes and ecosystem?

The Ocean Cleanup is one of many bold players today focusing on different ways to address the plastic problem, by focusing on clean up. Other groups too are focusing on prevention and consumer-based approaches to keeping plastic out of our oceans, and I encourage you to keep tabs on their exciting work.

After seventeen days at sea, I for one long for the day that I can witness that deep, endless blue beneath my snorkel mask and have faith that I am not in fact suspended amidst a rainbow shower of microplastics.

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