Reflection

Reflection

I have many memories of water. As a child, I would play with my brother in the cold, glimmering ocean, chasing the tide, finding hermit crabs, and building sand forts that would inevitably crash down. The cool, salty air over the water combined with the warm, grainy sand beneath our feet was perfect for an unforgettable day. The ocean, teeming with life, ever so beautiful, was a gift for my family and me to enjoy. However, as I grew older, I started noticing plastic bottles, cans, bottle caps, and random belongings that visitors may have lost washing up on the beach. In my classrooms, I started learning more about marine pollution and its dangers in the underwater world. These dangers are not limited to the oceans; our communities, societies–the world as a whole–suffer the consequences. I was inspired to create my piece "Dive Deeper" to address the concerns of marine pollution. Biodiversity not only enriches ecosystem health but also builds ecosystem resilience. Humans significantly influence the increasing rates of species extinction, making species, including our own, more vulnerable to disruptions and environmental changes. Marine pollution plagues the underwater world and the vegetation and creatures that live within it, and impacts our world above water.