Because they are the great regulators of the climate, because of the products they offer us and because of the ecological services The seas are vital to the functioning of the planet and to sustaining life on the planet. Earth as we know it, so its conservation and responsible use is vital, he said. Alejandro Robles Gonzalez.

The president of NOS Sustainable Northwest participated as a guest in Atlas Aquaticaa science outreach initiative promoted by Mexican Seas. Interviewed by the host Iván Carrillo for the section ScubaHe recounted his first encounters with the sea at the hand of his father and how it has shaped his life ever since.

"My first memory of the sea as something incredible was when I was about 5 years old, when my father took me diving at Sacrificios Island, off the coast of Veracruz, in a coral reef and when I dove with the mask, I saw a lot of little fishes of incredible colors hiding and swimming among the corals. That image is still with me today," he recalled.

Robles González added that from the experiences he shared with his father, he learned that the sea is not something to be afraid of, but to have a lot of respect.

"I studied biochemical engineering and there I got to know the sea from a more scientific point of view, so to speak, from a research point of view, participating a lot in research cruises, in diving collections, in marine mammal and fish research, and I related to the sea in a different way," he said.

Professionally, the president of NOS Sustainable Northwest He says he has worked in international conservation for 17 years, so the sea has been present practically throughout his life.

Climate change is a real threat

Because of its global impact, Robles Gonzalez pointed out that nowadays the change the climate change represents the greatest threat in the fight for the conservation of the seas.

"For me it is the biggest or most worrisome systemic threat, because it is the one that would completely change the face of the seas as we know them and for which strictly local measures are not necessarily any solution," he said.

The consequences of climate change on all the planet's seas range from warming, changing currents, coral bleaching, acidification, among others, he said.

Other threats to the oceans, he explained, are the loss of biodiversity, so it is necessary to avoid overfishing, the destruction of critical habitats such as mangroves, the growing presence of plastics and microplastics, underwater mining and marine traffic.

We depend on the sea

The oceans provide us with fish products to feed us, regulate the global climate and also produce oxygen, but they also offer us other things such as the beauty of their coasts and generate an entire economy based on tourism, said Alejandro Robles.

"There are many benefits that we obtain from our seas, which is why it is fundamental to be able to conserve them, to be able to use them responsibly," he said.

He even indicated that people who live far from the seas can do many things to help in their conservation, because the choices that each person makes when choosing what to eat, what to wear or how to have fun have an impact on the planet.

The president of NOS Sustainable Northwest that people are helping to conserve the seas and the planet by choosing low-emission or zero-emission products wisely.

"The only power we have is the power to choose what we buy and I think that is the power to transform an economy from unsustainable to sustainable, to be able to privilege with our choices those companies, those products that come from sustainable processes, processes that do not increase climate change, that do not put more CO2 in the atmosphere," he said..

A look of hope

Alejandro Robles acknowledged that the indicators are not encouraging and show a growing trend of deterioration of the oceans, but with optimism he imagines a future with healthy seas, free of pollution, with abundant life, and conscious citizens, caring for, respecting, restoring these seas, taking advantage of the life they provide without abusing them.

"I can see coastal communities using them very responsibly and with great care, respecting their ecological processes, respecting their critical habitats. I see fishermen restoring ecosystems with their empirical knowledge, I see them fishing well, taking their products to responsible markets. I also see them cultivating the sea in a correct and sustainable way, and producing the protein we need from the sea," he said.

He also sees the need to keep large portions of the oceans, both on the coasts and in the open sea, completely reserved from human activities, because these wilderness areas are extremely important to ensure that the sea continues to provide humanity with all the benefits it has provided so far.