Ocean Rises : Why the Sea’s Song Has Turned into a Warning
When I wrote Ocean Rises, I wasn’t just thinking about the beauty of the sea — I was thinking about how the world’s oceans are struggling under the weight of pollution. Beneath the waves, a crisis is unfolding that affects marine life, coastal communities, and ultimately all of us.
A Sea Choking on Waste
Every year, between 9 and 12 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans — that’s roughly 17 tonnes every minute. Most of this pollution doesn’t come from ships or ocean traffic — about 80% comes from land, carried by rivers and runoff from farms, cities, and roads. UNFCCC
Right now, scientists estimate that there are 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic in our oceans, and that number is growing every year. Sci-Tech Today
Plastic doesn’t simply disappear. Instead, it breaks down into tiny fragments. Microplastics — plastic pieces smaller than 5 millimetres — now make up the vast majority of plastic pollution in open water, and these particles are entering the food chain from the smallest plankton to the fish we eat. Sci-Tech Today
Invisible Threats, Visible Damage
Plastic isn’t the only problem. Pollution from agricultural runoff, chemicals, untreated sewage, and industrial waste also flows into the sea, poisoning habitats and harming marine animals. The Environmental Institute
The consequences are real and measurable:
100 million marine animals die each year due to plastic pollution alone. Condor Ferries
Plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose, meaning that the waste we create now could still be in the oceans long after we’re gone. UNFCCC
Rivers are a major source — just 1,000 rivers contribute roughly 80% of plastic entering the oceans annually. Sci-Tech Today
From Beauty to Burden
To many of us, the ocean is a source of wonder — a place of beauty, life, and mystery. But as pollution increases, that beauty is threatened. Beaches around the world are littered with plastic debris, and even remote ecosystems — from coral reefs to deep-sea trenches — are being contaminated. GreenMatch.co.uk
This isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a cultural and human issue. Billions of people depend on oceans for food, income, and climate regulation, yet pollution undermines every one of these benefits. GreenMatch.co.uk
Turning the Tide
Songs like Ocean Rises are about more than emotion — they’re about awareness. Every piece of plastic we prevent from reaching the ocean, every river cleanup, every policy that reduces single-use plastics, helps to protect that fragile ecosystem.
As the ocean’s heartbeat changes, Ocean Rises becomes more than a song — it becomes a call to listen.