Christina Ochoa Instagram – The ocean gives life to an incredible amount of biodiversity and vital ecosystems. It is also the biggest carbon sink on the planet, absorbing about a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions. But its health is threatened by human activity such as plastic pollution and destructive fishing. Indeed, the equivalent of two garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the ocean every minute, and over 90% of the plastic that ends up in the ocean lies on the seabed. Destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling are bulldozing through Europe’s marine life, including in so-called “protected” areas, releasing enormous amounts of carbon back into the ocean. If we restore our ocean to health and abundance, it can continue to be our biggest ally in the fight against climate change. @Oceana has been conducting an expedition in the Alboran Sea, in the South of Spain, to research plastic pollution in the ocean depths and bottom trawling impacts on marine protected areas. So join me in following the results of this exciting journey on Oceana’s website and social media channels! Together, we can save the oceans and feed the world.