It¡¯s easy to think of the ocean as just a massive body of water where we go swimming, surfing, or maybe take a boat ride on vacation. But the ocean is more than a beautiful backdrop for our Instagram photos or a seafood buffet source. It¡¯s a life-support system ¡ª not just for marine life, but for us humans too.
So, why does the ocean matter so much to human life? It matters, because it is a lifeline for Small Island Nations.
According to the United Nations, . In places like the Cabo Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sao Tome and Principe and Comoros the ocean isn¡¯t just important; it¡¯s everything. It provides food, jobs, transportation, and cultural identity.
Yet these islands are also the most vulnerable to sea level rise, extreme weather, and coral reef loss ¡ª problems driven largely by global climate change. These communities are often on the frontlines, sounding the alarm despite contributing little to the problem.
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