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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Rivers to Oceans Week

Rivers to Oceans Week (June 8 - 13) is an opportunity to work together to create a better understanding of Canada's watersheds, our connection to fresh- and salt-water environments and what everyone can do to protect and keep watersheds healthy for people and wildlife.

As Canadians, we are blessed with a great abundance of water. Yet, how often do we think about the world living beneath the surface of our many lakes, rivers and oceans, which depends on an unspoiled supply of water?

Water is a precious resource that supports fish and wildlife populations; provides important ecological functions; is used in agriculture, industry and recreation; not to mention the main source of drinking water for both the human and animal populations. Also, fishing is not only a favourite pastime; it puts food on the table for millions of Canadians every day. Fishing for food means jobs for the people of the county which supports the local economy.

Our rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and oceans are ecosystems that share energy, nutrients and inhabitants. This intricate ecosystem also connects, through the water’s thin surface, to our more familiar land-based ecosystems. That means we humans, too, are connected. Besides food connections, underwater ecosystems provide a number of other ecological “services,” such as producing life-giving oxygen and stabilizing our planet’s climate.

Lakes, rivers and oceans have, at the base of their food chain, very tiny but very plentiful free-floating plants called phytoplankton. Like the plants that grow on land, they give off oxygen. Since much of the planet’s surface is water-covered (about 70 per cent), their contribution is important.

Our rivers, oceans and lakes are becoming bombarded by threats: pollution from harmful chemicals like fertilizers, which encourages underwater plant growth that absorbs mass amounts of oxygen; acid rain can throw off the balance in watery ecosystems; and oil spills can be fatal to wildlife that rely on the water to survive.

Oil from ships can enter Canada’s oceans either accidentally or by deliberate dumping. The Seabirds face the greatest threats from oil, especially those that dive underwater to catch their food. In fact, approximately 300,000 seabirds die annually from oil pollution off the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland. Seabirds suffer from drowning, hypothermia, poisoning, and loss of flight from heavy amounts of oil on their wings.

Now think about what is happening South of our border in the Gulf of Mexico. Between the oil still gushing from the broken pipe and the chemical dispersants used – What chance do the fish, birds and wildlife in the Gulf have of surviving?

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