The Sea and the Butterfly

by Kim Kirim

No one told him about the water’s depth.
The white butterfly did not know how to fear the sea.

Thinking it to be a field of blue radish leaves, he floated down.
Young wings ended up pickled in the waves,
Then he returned, tired like a princess.

No flower blossomed on the sea of March’s moon. The grieving
Butterfly’s waist was cold with the pale crescent.

바다와 나비
아무도 그에게 수심(水深)을 일러 준 일이 없기에
흰 나비는 도모지 바다가 무섭지 않다.

청(靑)무우밭인가 해서 내려갔다가는
어린 날개가 물결에 절어서
공주(公主)처럼 지쳐서 돌아온다.

삼월(三月)달 바다가 꽃이 피지 않아서 서글픈
나비 허리에 새파란 초생달이 시리다

According to scholars, in the poem The Sea and the Butterfly, beloved Korean poet Kim Kirim uses the sea to illustrate the harsh reality of his times and the butterfly to express the fragility of life in the face of adversity.

As we prepare to participate in the 10^th Our Ocean Conference in Busan, Republic of Korea, from April 28-30, I like to think about this beautiful poem in a different way. A more hopeful one. 

Just like in the poem, the ocean remains largely undiscovered, unknown. However, the science is clear and tells us that we are dealing with a triple planetary crisis. A changing climate, loss of biodiversity and increasing plastic pollution represent an unprecedented threat to the ocean and life on Earth as we know it.

First, the ocean absorbs about 90% of the excess heat generated by climate change, leading to rising sea temperatures and, among other things, sea level rise due to the melting of the polar ice caps, including Arctic ice. Warmer ocean waters impact marine ecosystems, including coral reefs and fisheries. The increased CO₂, which creates warmer temperatures in the atmosphere, is absorbed by the ocean. This causes ocean acidification, which harms corals, mollusks and plankton, disrupting marine food webs. Collectively, these impacts result in a climate crisis that threatens the health of our ocean and planet 

Second, marine biodiversity is rapidly declining due to warming waters, overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution—including plastics and harmful chemicals. And these impacts extend even to the deepest parts of the ocean. The degradation of ocean ecosystems, including the mesopelagic zone or “twilight zone”—the magical middle of our ocean that is critical for carbon sequestration—impacts marine biodiversity, and has the potential of disrupting carbon capture while also threatening our global food security.

Finally, eleven million metric tons of plastic pollution enter our ocean annually. That’s more than a garbage truck’s worth every minute. These plastics—both big and small—have now made their way to every corner of the ocean, from the surface to deepest trenches, from the Arctic to Antarctic and into the smallest to largest species of marine wildlife. These plastics are contaminating the ocean food web that produces protein for nearly 3 billion people around the globe. Further, the accumulation of lost and abandoned fishing gear or ghost gear, the deadliest form of plastics, threatens ocean health and biodiversity by entangling marine species from seabirds and sea turtles to the largest of whales.

Quite simply, we are putting too much into the ocean and taking too much out. The cumulative and intricately interlinked impacts of these triple crises we’ve created requires a global, coordinated effort if we are to safeguard our own existence. 

And then, I like to think that we can all be like the butterfly. Fearless.

We must continue working relentlessly and with a deep conviction if we are going to reverse course to avoid the worst effects of these crises and transition to a healthy future. These global issues require international cooperation, coordination and most importantly, action. Governments, civil society, private sector, general public, all must come together to address the drivers of these problems, restore what we can and transition to a better future.

And we must act quickly to maximize our impact. Tackling the plastics pollution crisis is a perfect example. Plastics are a major problem, and we can do something about that today. Currently, plastics drive at least 3-4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and are the fastest-growing demand for fossil fuels. It is estimated that if plastic use keeps growing at the current rate, then by 2050, plastics will drive 20% of global oil demand—more per person than used to fuel our cars. 

Not only does plastic production drive oil and gas demand, but several studies have shown that microplastics may also be directly altering the climate by impacting cloud and sea ice formation. That’s why, when we decrease our reliance on plastics, we’re not only cleaning up our beaches, our ocean, and our air—we are also delivering meaningful and necessary impact to protect biodiversity loss and the health of our planet overall.

Actions that address the plastic-pollution crisis can also protect the ecosystem services of the mesopelagic zone. A recent study showed that microplastics are present in species from the mesopelagic zone. This critical area of the ocean between 200-1000 meters under the ocean surface is critical for carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, marine biodiversity and as prey for species of commercial importance. 

This is why we at Ocean Conservancy, working with partners around the globe, are advocating for the protection of the mesopelagic zone, and the ecosystem services it provides. This includes a proposed IUCN resolution that calls for protecting this important area of the ocean.

But this is not the only topic Ocean Conservancy will be championing in Busan. Our delegation will be advancing efforts on the protection of the Central Arctic Ocean, championing the deployment of offshore wind renewable energy, sharing our expertise on actions that help stem ghost gear in the ocean, and advocating for an ambitious and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty. 

Today, we invite you to work with us and our partners and to continue championing actions that help address the main threats facing the ocean. Let’s all be more like the butterfly in the protection of the ocean. Let’s be fearless in the face of adversity!