Name: How we wrecked the ocean
Uploaded: 2010-05-05T08:28:00Z
Duration: 18 min 2 s
Description: In this bracing talk, coral reef ecologist Jeremy Jackson lays out the shocking state of the ocean today: overfished, overheated, polluted, with indicators that things will get much worse. Astonishing photos and stats make the case.

In this bracing talk, coral reef ecologist Jeremy Jackson lays out the shocking state of the ocean today: overfished, overheated, polluted, with indicators that things will get much worse. Astonishing photos and stats make the case.

How we wrecked the ocean

Marine ecosystems have been devastated by overfishing, pollution, and climate change, causing once-vibrant coral reefs to become lifeless stretches of seaweed and slime. Industrial fishing practices have flattened ocean habitats on a scale matching all deforested land throughout history. Entire food chains have collapsed as nutrient runoff fuels massive toxic blooms, leaving dead zones and jellyfish as the new normal. Without confronting our own habits and values, the decline will only accelerate and reshape the seas beyond recognition.