Discuss the importance of the goods and services that ocean ecosystems provide for humans

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The oceans facilitate transportation and commerce, influence global climate, teem with biodiversity, and provide us with many resources. Oceans provide an affordable means of moving people and products over vast distances. The historical impacts of shipping on human culture and commerce are profound, accelerating the global reach of certain cultures and the interaction of long-isolated peoples. The thousands of ships plying the world's oceans today carry everything from cod to cargo containers to crude oil. Due to water's high heat capacity, oceans can moderate climate by absorbing heat from the atmosphere. They are a source of thermal energy, and they can also release heat into the atmosphere. Humans use oceans as sources of commercially valuable energy. Oil and methane hydrate sediments represent fossil fuel resources in the ocean. In recent decades, engineers have developed turbines that generate electricity using the ebb and flow of the tides for energy. There are thousands of species of fish, shellfish, and algae in the oceans that provide us with food. People also extract minerals from the ocean floor. Also, the sea has always been a primal symbol and experience for humans, representing vastness, the beyond, and the abode of higher beings. Oceans have a great value in their intangible ecosystem services, giving us a source of artistic inspiration, beauty, and peace of mind which are mainstays of the tourism industry worldwide.