Interview with dr. hab. prof. UG Waldemar Surosz, Head of the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Dean of the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk
Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Oceans, alarmed in 2020 that this was a critical time in terms of protecting the seas and oceans. After it, scientists predicted a catastrophic domino effect that we would not be able to stop. The year 2020 has passed, have we managed to save the seas and oceans?
From time to time, scientists set cut-off dates to mobilise society and politicians for faster, more radical action to protect nature. In reality, however, no one can calculate precisely when we will exceed the so-called critical mass that will tip the scales of irreversibility. We can only talk about probabilities and various mathematical models. However, one positive outcome of these activities and the year 2020 as a whole is that the United Nations has declared a Decade of Ocean Exploration for Sustainable Development. It covers the years 2021 to 2030, so we are now at the best time to intensify research into the seas and oceans. Humans are hardy organisms and we rarely realise that about seventy percent of the surface of our globe is water or all-ocean. The seas and oceans provide food, are a rich resource for humans and have a decisive influence on the climate, not only globally but also locally. Yet nature conservation legislation, for example, is largely confined to land areas.
Which marine species have been irretrievably lost, and which can we still save?
The seas are open waters and just because we do not record a species in an area today does not mean that it will not reappear there as a result of changed conditions. This always provides an opportunity for marine species to return and thrive. For example, thirty years ago we were convinced that there would be no more seals in our area, yet we are seeing more and more of them on our coast. Today we have a large seal family in the area of Mewia Łacha in the mouth of the Vistula River. The prof. Krzysztof Skóra Marine Station in Hel, which is part of the University of Gdańsk, has devoted many years of its activities to the problems of restoring grey seals. In the seal centre at our station, we conduct very extensive marine education. I wouldn't risk saying that we have recently lost a species irretrievably. But we certainly have problems with populations of many species in the Baltic at the moment. I will mention the harbour porpoise population as an example. It is the only cetacean species that is permanently present in the Baltic. They most often die entangled in fishing nets. They are also very sensitive to underwater noise. The summer season is particularly difficult for this species due to, among other things, the large number of motorboats and jet skis operating at sea.
The seas and oceans are an enormous resource for mankind, including food, which we associate mainly with fish and so-called 'seafood'. Meanwhile, research is being conducted into how to use algae more effectively as a source of food. Do they really have that much nutritional value?
They have enormous nutritional value both in the form of protein and the whole range of micronutrients that these organisms contain. In Asian countries, very large quantities of algae are consumed. For example, we all know sushi, which is often wrapped in sheets of nori, seaweed from the kelp or green algae group. But many more resources in the sea constitute an excellent 'nutrient store' for humans. For example, spirulina (a preparation from cyanobacteria) or chlorella (a preparation from Chlorophyta), which are rich in proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, are very popular as food supplements. It is believed that life came out of the sea. The sea is therefore the cradle of everything.
Only that man is destroying this cradle...
It is human nature. We want to influence everything. We change the ecosystem so that it works according to our rules and not according to the laws of nature. Meanwhile, every system, whether marine or terrestrial, functions sustainably. As much energy is supplied to the ecosystem as is subsequently used. It is a balance that nature maintains. And man tends to control everything according to his own rules, thus causing a lot of damage to nature. The idea behind the decade of researching the seas and oceans is, among other things, to leave an uncontaminated environment with its resources for future generations.
What are the biggest threats we currently face in terms of sea and ocean degradation?
One of the biggest problems is eutrophication, which is the enrichment of waters with nutrients. It all starts with the dumping of large quantities of these substances into the sea, for example by leaching from agricultural fields that are fertilised with nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. In waters enriched with these substances, ideal conditions are created for the development of small plant organisms - phytoplankton. The consequence of eutrophication in the Gulf of Gdańsk, for example, is Chlorophyta bloom, this year particularly intensive. Every organism living in a natural ecosystem is food for another organism in the food chain. The large biomass produced in the sea is only partially consumed by the other links in the chain, the rest sinks to the bottom and decomposes. As it decomposes, it consumes oxygen. When a large amount of biomass decomposes, there can be a loss of oxygen at the bottom of the tank. However, the decomposition process is not stopped and anaerobic decomposition begins. This latter process results in the release of harmful gases, such as hydrogen sulphide, which is so dangerous that in places where it occurs, so-called 'azoic deserts' form, i.e. places where no organisms can live. This is the effect of excessive fertility of the reservoir. Yet there is a lingering conviction in the human mind that the more fertile the field, the more abundant the yield and the greater the benefits that can be derived from such cultivation. This is not how nature works, so we should work on changing this seemingly short-sighted thinking.
Is the problem mainly artificial fertilisers, or is it generally an excess of nutrients that run off into the sea? If we use too much natural fertiliser, will we still have a problem with eutrophication?
Whether these substances come from nature or from artificial compounds, when there is an excess of them, eutrophication will still occur.
What other risks can we talk about?
Another problem is acidification or the acidification of the ecosystem. This has to do with the high emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When CO₂ dissolves in water, it acidifies it. All living organisms maintain an ionic equilibrium and most physiological processes occur under very specific pH conditions. Seawater is slightly alkaline by nature. Large quantities of carbon dioxide upset this balance, resulting, for example, in problems with the disappearance of coral reefs - the calcium carbonate they are made of dissolves. We must also take care of biodiversity. Nature is rich in all sorts of species. This increases the chances of survival. If environmental conditions change, the functions previously carried out by one species can be taken over by another, to maintain the balance. This keeps ecosystems functioning. Sustainability is extremely important for the proper functioning of the seas and oceans, and therefore for human beings.
Scientists are warning that microplastics in the waters are a huge threat.
Although we talk about it a great deal, we actually know very little about this phenomenon and especially about its long-term effects. What is certain is that microplastics are particles of plastic or other plastics, measuring from a few micrometres to five millimetres. It comes not only from bottles and other plastic objects discarded into the sea but also from the abrasion of car tyres, the microbeads added to cosmetics and from clothes made of plastic that release huge quantities of microplastic particles into the environment when washed. One wash of a fleece jacket can release over two hundred thousand of these microparticles into the sea. The microplastics in the sea can be ingested, for example, by the fish that later end up on our table. There are no detailed studies on this yet, but there are already reports that microplastic can enter the human bloodstream in this way. This could cause adverse changes to our health in the future.
Humans have a lot of greed in them towards nature. It's nothing revealing, but nature can do without us and we can't do without it. Is there any way out of this greedy nature of human beings, so as not to be accused of 'ecoterrorism?
We can still do a lot to protect and restore the natural environment, including the marine environment. For example, instead of overfishing natural ecosystems, we can provide food from aquaculture. The products obtained in this way are in no way inferior to natural products in terms of taste and nutrition. For example, oysters or mussels are farmed in this way. This can be done in the sea in such a way that no additional ingredients are introduced to cause adverse changes. This is one example of positive action for the sustainable exploitation of the seas.
What else can we do to avoid degrading nature?
We need to change our mentality. Each of us should adopt our own programme of self-restraint, for example in consumption. At the moment, we buy a few slices of cold meat in a shop, wrapped in plastic which often weighs more than its contents. We can choose other products. Tons of plastic comes from so-called boxed food. We convince ourselves that we are eating healthy food, while at the same time producing huge amounts of rubbish. Unfortunately, we are a consumer society. We quickly get used to convenience and comfort.
It also seems that we should act much more quickly and radically on legal issues limiting the destruction of the natural environment.
I share this view. Thirty years ago we produced far less rubbish. The current, very poor, situation of our environment is due to the lobbying of many people connected with companies that are motivated only by profit, without any regard for the environmental costs that we all have to pay. I am convinced that we need to exert greater pressure on manufacturers to take action to protect the environment. In Germany, for example, plastic bottle deposit boxes were introduced a long time ago. Such problems can therefore be solved, but it is a question of mentality, culture and respect for nature.
Giving up comfort and being more attentive to nature is a step in the right direction. What is the role of scientists in this?
A huge one. Scientists are first and foremost providers of knowledge about how ecosystems function. Without scientific research, we know nothing, we move around like the proverbial children in the fog. A well-studied ecosystem is a good diagnosis, just like in medicine... It is important to carry out this research, but it is equally important to disseminate it. We need to involve the public in protecting the environment, in what is now fashionably called citizen science. I think the Marine Station of the University of Gdańsk in Hel is a very good example of this kind of positive action. Together with the WWF Poland foundation, we managed to create the 'Blue Patrol', a group of several dozen people who regularly monitor the entire Polish coastline. They do it voluntarily, they are all trained, they know what to observe, and they prepare reports which later help in scientific research. Volunteers should be given reliable knowledge first so that they can later receive valuable feedback. People who are involved in such joint environmental activities become local promoters of these ideas. These are very positive manifestations of a shared concern for nature, but in my opinion, they are not enough. As we have already said, legal regulations are badly needed. Whatever is most harmful to the environment should be banned, withdrawn from the market or cost so much that it is not worthwhile for companies to produce it and for us, as customers, to buy it.
What chance is there of preserving the wealth of the seas and oceans?
In my opinion, very much. I am not going to say anything new, but we need to educate the public constantly, persistently and with commitment. We must convince them that, if we act together for our seas and oceans, we can rebalance the ecosystems in the future. We must start to really feel part of them, and not some alien 'higher' organism. As pathetic as it may sound, I am convinced that only this line of thinking will ensure a safe place on Earth for future generations. I still believe that man, as an intelligent being, will in time understand the need for such behaviour, which will give many more human generations a chance for a dignified life. May the projects implemented as part of the Decade of Ocean Research for Sustainable Development bear the best fruit possible.