How Did the Sea Cure Himself During the Pandemic?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia's marine health was already worrying.

The Ocean Health Index (OHI), developed by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and Conservation International, ranked Indonesia 137th out of 221 countries in 2018, with a total value of 65 out of a scale of 100.

This value is still below the average global sea health of 71.

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However, since the imposition of physical restrictions (physical distancing) to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Indonesia in March, it turned out to provide an environmental opportunity to recover naturally.

This is because restrictions on human movement reduce human activities that produce pollution and damage the marine ecosystem.

As a marine researcher, my initial observations found some changes in the condition of the sea in Indonesia during the pandemic:

1) Emergence of species

Reduced human activities on the coast and the sea provide time for natural ecosystem and biota recovery.

Although there is still a need for further research, there have been reports of the emergence of marine species in areas previously densely populated by human activities.

For example, the appearance of killer whales or Orca (Orcinus Orca) in Anambas, Riau Islands. Their previous presence was very rare in the area.

In the North Atlantic, Michelle Fournet, a researcher from Cornell University in the United States stated that during the pandemic there was a drastic reduction in noise pollution from ships passing by and other human activities that disrupted censorship of whale species.

This resulted in the whales returning to explore areas previously crowded with shipping and sea activities during the pandemic.

2) Ocean acidification slows down

Some reports indicate that there is a daily decrease in carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere.

Many researchers have argued that this is only a direct impact of the drastic decline in human activity even though it is likely to rise again.

However, falling levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will slow the process of ocean acidification.

The ocean heats up due to rising greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen dioxide (N₂O), methane (CH4), and freon, in the atmosphere.

This will increase the acidity of the sea and cause bleaching of coral reefs (coral bleaching) which leads to the death of corals and marine species that make coral reefs their home.

Although coral growth does not reach 1 cm per year, reducing tourist activity is expected to reduce coral damage and provide hope for coral to regrow.


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