Why should we protect coastal ecosystems?
Proximity to water – especially the sea – is associated with many positive measures of physical and mental well-being.
When you are sailing, surfing or swimming, you’re really in tune with natural forces there – you have to understand the motion of the wind, the movement of the water. By being forced to concentrate on the qualities of the environment, we access a cognitive state honed over millennia. “We’re kind of getting back in touch with our historical heritage, cognitively.”
- excerpt from The Guardian on why water makes us happy.
We love the ocean. It's as simple as that. Our happiness depends on a healthy ocean. Along with the air we breathe, and many other things we deem essential.
Unfortunately, we're aware that the ocean is under extreme threat from human and environmental impacts. It's not enough to simply stop human impact on the ocean. We need to do all that we can to reverse the impact we've already had, before it's too late.
Please check out the various ways you can reduce your impact on the ocean and restore coastal ecosystems.
Also, if you want to learn more about the ways water makes us happy, please buy a copy of Blue Mind, by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols. It's a staple in our library.