Ocean Uses
We use the ocean in many different
ways. Read on to find out more!
MAIN USES
Tourism
Transport
Energy
Food
Water
Salt
Research
Leisure
ENERGY
We use the ocean for a source of energy. We can harvest this energy through oil rigs and wind
turbines. Under the sea floor there is lots of oil and gas. This was made millions of years ago from
prehistoric plants and animals. We use oil rigs to get the oil and gas out. It’s very windy out at sea
which means it’s a good place to put wind turbines. As they spin they provide us with energy.
Annually, around 211 BILLION dollars worth of oil is taken from the ocean compared to wind energy
only producing 62 billion dollars worth.
There are 315,672 people employed in the oil industry whereas the wind industry is growing with 1.25
million people employed globally. This is brilliant for the economy as both industries provide
revenue and jobs. However, every year 110 people die working in the oil industry and less than 20
people in the wind industry.
Overall, the risks from both industries are high to both people and the environment but wind energy
does not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when generating electricity where as around 5
200 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses are emitted from the oil industry.
DESALINATION
Desalination is the process by which the
dissolved mineral salts in water are removed.
This provides around 30 million people with
drinking water from salt water and is worth
around $15 billion per year and employs
32,000 people.
Whilst desalination is not great for the
environment as it produces 100,000 tonnes
of emmissions every year there have been
no recorded deaths in desalination plants.
TRANSPORT AND SHIPPING
Transportation can involve the shipment of goods and people. However, freight shipping is the
method more commonly used for goods and cruise ships is more commonly used for people.
Aproximately 1.2 million people currently employed at sea in the freight industry. The freight
industry involves shipping goods globally. The maritime industry is responsible for around 940
million tonnes of CO2 annually, which is at least 2.5% of the world's total CO2 emissions.
Cruise liners produce more carbon dioxide annually on average than any other kind of ship due to
their air conditioning, heated pools and other hotel amenities, studies have shown. Cruise ships
account for producing just over 1 billion tonnes of CO2 annually and employ 178,000 people. So they
produce more emissions and employ less people!
The cruise industry in the global travel & tourism market generates approximately 3.36 billion U.S.
dollars of revenue annually compared to annual revenue among the 50 largest global
transportation providers grew 31.4 percent to $1.29 trillion this past year.
Surprisingly, the number of deaths within the freight industry is 12 annually compared to 32 within
the cruise ship industry. And that isn't even a complete number! Annually around 2 people also get
lost at sea within the cruise ship industry. We can only assume these missing people were not
fortunate enough to be found.
TOURISM AND LEISURE
FISHING
People travel to the beach for holidays which we call
Fishermen and women often
tourism. People also can use the ocean for other leisure
activites such as snorkelling, swimming and sailing.
According to DEMA, recreational scuba diving and
snorkeling contribute about $11 billion, sailing
contributes $5.8 billion and overall tourism contributing
$1.3 trillion.
It's good news for jobs too as the tourism industry
provides 333 million jobs globally with sailing making
up 1.2 million of these jobs and diving making up 9
million.
Activities involving the ocean can be dangerous though
and 200 divers die each year but the industry
contributes less than 1 tonne of emissions per diver.
Sailing contributes 40 million tonnes of greenhouse
gases with 658 people dying annually.
work on boats called trawlers
and catch fish using large nets.
The world's fishing fleets emitted
179 million tonnes of greenhouse
gases and more than 100,000
people die annually across the
global fishing sector.
37 million people are employed.