Mother Ocean
I
used to say that I preferred the mountains to the seashore. There is something truly majestic about the Rockies that inspires me every time I sneak away to t h e West for camping, skiing, or just looking. And lately I have come to appreciate more and more the grandeur of the mountains in the East: the Blue Ridge and the Smokes in particular, because they are close to my home. The dense forests; granite overlooks; and the variety of mosses, ferns, and other vegetation can occupy any mind or just soothe. The western mountains speak of youth, vigor, and boldness while the eastern mountains speak of age, experience, and wisdom-the radiance of a starlet contrasted to the dignified beauty of an older star. But now I also know why others fancy the ocean. This new love began on the magnificent shores of California where the Pacific meets land to form some of the grandest scenes on Earth. It has been nourished by quiet walks down the Outer Banks of North Carolina, through the marshes of Pea Island and the wetlands of Pamlico Sound. It has feasted on the sight of diving pelicans off Ocracoke, whales migrating past Point Reyes, and schools of porpoises playing in the warm water of the Georgia archipelago. My spirit soars when I am lucky enough to experience a magnificent sunset over the sound at Collington Harbor or at Cannel by the Sea. I shall never forget that beautiful sight as the last tip of the golden ball slipped into the sea off La Jolla and the small crowd of people gasped-and then applauded!
It’s easy t o feel awed by the sea. It is huge and powerful, a n d so m u c h larger than any of u s that we feel it will never yield. When it gathers its fury in a storm there i s nothing so terrible and yet somagnificent. But the ocean is also our mother. It is the place that first nourished life, and it still provides much of our sustenance. Like a mother, it also provides psychological nurturing, stability, and a sense that all is well, even in troubled times. It is the womb from which life continues to flow. Now I worry about the ocean. It looks about the same as it always has, I suppose; but I sense all is not right. We hear that fish catches are down, and we see the signs on piers that some of the bottom dwellers are too contaminated to eat. The red tide comes surging into the bays occasionally and ravages the shellfish, the coral reefs are dying, and many of the oyster beds are gone. Why do we think that we can constantly pollute and overtax the ocean without a long-term effect? The ocean is a precious commons. We must protect it.
0013-936X/93/0927-419$04.00/0 @ 1993 American Chemical Society
Environ. Sci. Technol., Voi. 27. No. 3. 1993 41s
