Life Below Water by Nayeli Fuentes

Goal #14 Life Below Water

s1745169 — 2025-01-14 19:42:30 UTC

I love animals and I find marine animals very interesting which is why I picked this SDG. I also love water and seeing the clear water at the beaches.

Beach Clean-Ups

s1745169 — 2025-01-14 20:02:38 UTC

I saw that the SDG website had beach clean-ups which I was always interested in but never able to do. They are conducted twice every month and are aimed at keeping the Rock Beach in Puducherry clean. They try to do that as well to also spread awareness about marine pollution and how it's affecting life in the oceans.

Temple Reef Foundation

s1745169 — 2025-01-14 20:07:41 UTC

This foundation is a non-governmental organization that takes part in marine conservation and does many projects to help. For example they do beach clean-ups and reef clean-ups. They conduct these projects regularly to ensure a healthy beach and a healthy ocean.

Why is this goal important?

s1745169 — 2025-01-15 18:16:45 UTC

According to UT at Dallas Sustainable Development Goal 14 is important both for protecting ocean ecosystems and preserving an essential global resource. The ocean ultimately provides and regulates rainwater, drinking water, much of our food, and even our weather.

Fun Fact

s1745169 — 2025-01-15 20:18:01 UTC

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to our existence. They cover 70 percent of our planet and we rely on them for food, energy and water. Yet, we have managed to do tremendous damage to these precious resources. We must protect them by eliminating pollution and overfishing and immediately start to responsibly manage and protect all marine life around the world.

Protect and Restore Ecosystems

s1745169 — 2025-01-15 20:21:58 UTC

Target 14.2 really caught my eye and I found it interesting. It states that by 2020, they want to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

Things you can do to help

s1745169 — 2025-01-15 20:29:08 UTC

• Find a charity that supports SGD #14 and donate anything to help.

• Never buy bottled water

• Reduce Waste

• Run a campaign on the effects of plastic use on the seas and oceans

• Organize a cleanup project for rivers and oceans

• Buy local and certified fish

• Stay informed

How is Europe doing?

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 19:09:39 UTC

This article talks about how Europe has faced this goal and improved. For instance, "In 2023, the quality of water on coastal bathing sites in the EU was very high with 88.4% of sites rated excellent, which was an increase of 3.4 percentage points (pp) when compared with 2013 (85.4%) and shows stability compared with 2022 (88.9%)."

Malaysia with fish

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 19:16:29 UTC

Malaysia has been trying to improve their states that connect to SDG #14. They have many challenges to overcome but for now they are keeping the proportion of fish caught from over-exploited or collapsed stock at sustainable level. Malaysia has also retained close to zero percentage for fish caught which later was discarded. They also have areas of concern that revolve around protection of key biodiversity areas and general marine areas, trawling and cleanliness of the ocean.

Africa in water

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 19:31:00 UTC

In Africa, low levels of funding for ‘life below water’ by governments, the private sector and donors indicate that ‘seablindness’ still prevails. This is despite Africa’s blue economy already generating US$300 billion and supporting about 50 million direct jobs and 12 million in the fisheries sector alone. The continent’s 13 million square kilometres of maritime exclusive economic zones could unlock ample development benefits. These seascapes are home to ecosystems teeming with biodiversity that form the foundation of Africa’s blue economy and need better protection.

Coral in South Florida

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 19:36:45 UTC

According to The Conversation, "the water off South Florida is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) in mid-July, and scientists are already seeing signs of coral bleaching off Central and South America. Particularly concerning is how early in the summer we are seeing these high ocean temperatures. If the extreme heat persists, it could have dire consequences for coral reefs. Healthy coral reef ecosystems are important for humans in numerous ways.Coral reefs are hot spots of biodiversity. They are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea because they are home to the highest concentrations of species in the ocean."

Latin America and the Caribbean

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 19:42:36 UTC

In Chile, research has shown that there are 5,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre within 1,000 km of the coast, while in the waters of Easter Island these figures reach 50,000 pieces per square kilometre.The Caribbean is home to 26,000 km of coral reefs, representing 7% of these ecosystems worldwide. According to the World Resources Institute, 75% of coral reefs in the Caribbean currently face medium and high threat levels. About 10% of coral reefs are on the verge of collapse and show no live coral cover. Moreover, 70% of beaches in the region are rapidly eroding.

Invasive lionfish in Brazil

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 19:55:35 UTC

I found out that lionfish are spreading from the Cariabbean to Brazil where they damage coral reefs and other species. According to The Conversation, Brazil’s coastal waters teem with a rich array of species that paint a living tapestry beneath the waves. The southwestern Atlantic is home to 111 endemic reef fish species, each of which plays a crucial role in the intricate web of marine life.New invasion fronts have quickly opened along Brazil’s north and northeast coasts, covering eight states and diverse marine habitats.They are aggressive, persistent hunters that feed on smaller fish, including species that keep coral reefs clean and others that are food for important commercial species like snappers and groupers. In a 2008 study, when lionfish appeared on reefs in the Bahamas, populations of small juvenile reef fish declined by 80% within five weeks.

Australia: A case of whales

s1745169 — 2025-01-16 20:11:00 UTC

In the case of whales, once ingested, the plastics can accumulate in the stomach, with the mass eventually becoming so big that it obstructs the bowels and the whale starves to death. Sometimes, whales become entangled in fishing nets and rope and die that way.

Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures Australia, has been running coastal marine clean-ups for many years in Hervey Bay, but since 2019 the aim has been to also record the types and quantity of debris found on the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) database run by Tangaroa Blue.

SDG #14

s1745169 — 2025-01-17 20:12:18 UTC

SDG 14 aims to increase efforts to conserve and sustainably use the oceans. These efforts are measured and monitored through 10 interrelated targets.

SDG target 14.4 is designed to regulate fishing activities and eliminate overfishing as well as illegal, unreported, unregulated, and destructive fishing. Overfishing occurs when too many fish are caught too quickly, without allowing time for the population to recover. This threatens the marine environment and the livelihoods of those who depend on it.

Asia and Pacific

s1745169 — 2025-01-20 20:46:45 UTC

Stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific have highlighted the need for more and better sustainable waste management systems. The utilization of single-use plastics has skyrocketed during the pandemic, and rivers and oceans saw an increase in plastic pollution due to mandatory use of personal protective equipment kits, at-home tests kits, and face masks, which are usually made of polypropylene and are designed for disposal after a single use. According to the responses in the United Nations Economic and Social Commission on Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) multi-stakeholder 2021 survey, this trend of poorly discarded waste is one of the greatest challenges in the realization of SDG 14.

Life in Ireland

s1745169 — 2025-01-20 20:55:00 UTC

Here is some data about their progress in Life Below Water. Fish Stocks Fished or below MSY, which is SDG 14.4.1, were 47% in 2020 and 34% in 2013. The coverage of protected areas about marine areas, 2020, SDG 14.5.1, is a marine protected area network of 2.13% of the total maritime area of 488,762 km2. The Irish government funding is 91.6 million euros in the 2014-2020 funds, which is 14.b.1 in the SDG target.

Information about Goal

s1745169 — 2025-01-20 20:56:52 UTC

The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. How we manage this vital resource is essential for humanity as a whole, and to counterbalance the effects of climate change.

Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today we are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.

Some Targets of the Goal

s1745169 — 2025-01-20 20:58:08 UTC

By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

Proposed Issue

s1745169 — 2025-01-20 21:04:12 UTC

I think I want to research Pollution which must be addressed to reach 14.1.1. I will focus on Latin America and The Caribbean and spread awareness. I want to research this because it is a big problem that is very common and has to do with other SDG goals. I also feel that it affects a lot of marine life that causes harm.

#1

s1745169 — 2025-01-23 19:13:39 UTC

How can water pollution decrease or improve in Chile and the Caribbean?

#2

s1745169 — 2025-01-23 19:15:01 UTC

Are there ways that can be in an everyday schedule for everyone to help with improving water pollution?

#3

s1745169 — 2025-01-23 19:16:11 UTC

Are there reasons when and how water pollution started to where it became a harsh condition world wide?

#4

s1745169 — 2025-01-24 01:13:24 UTC

Why and how does the trash that is being polluted destroy the coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef?

#5

s1745169 — 2025-01-24 01:14:34 UTC

Even though climate change is a big issue for coral reefs, what does pollution do to it and what are its effects?

Rubbish pollution in the Great Barrier Reef

s1745169 — 2025-01-24 01:15:48 UTC

Billions of pieces of plastic waste, including discarded items and microplastics, litter coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific region, including the Great Barrier Reef. Plastic has direct negative impacts on Reef wildlife and habitats and on human health.