Looking slightly weary of the photographer, a school
of black margate fish drift in the water column of
Belize's Hol Chan marine reserve. This marine
protected area - located off of Ambergris Caye - Was
created in 1987, allowing marine life and ecosystems
to thrive over the past three decades. Most
researchers tell us that at least 30% of Earth's oceans
must be protected in order to have a healthy planet,
yet today only about 3% of these waters have been
conserved. The ocean is the greatest carbon sink on
Earth, taking in carbon and giving back oxygen.
As fish populations are decimated and increased
amounts of carbon from fossil fuels are added to the
water, ecosystems are destroyed and the ocean loses
its ability to function efficiently. Creating more
marine protected areas then is not only good for fish,
but for all life on Earth.
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