A lover of the sea since he was a child, Enric (Kike) Ballesteros (Barcelona, ​​1958) has managed to make his dream come true: to live by and for the sea. Thanks to his childhood summers in Tossa de Mar, he learned to know and respect the aquatic environment. And as an adult he installed his residence in this municipality on the Costa Brava, a few kilometers from his place of work for the last 38 years, the Center d’ Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEABCSIC). This marine biologist who calls himself a “naturalist” has developed his entire scientific career there, since his interest is focused on knowing how nature works by studying it, but also living in it and enjoying it, scrutinizing its smallest details.
Where you grow up influences you for the rest of your life. In my case, from a very young age the sea has been part of my life and I was hooked. When I got older, being also passionate about nature, I decided to work on something that would allow me to be close to it every day.
The seas and oceans are our main source of water and one of the lungs of the Earth. They produce 50% of the oxygen, absorb much of the excess CO2 emissions released by human activities, and stabilize the planet’s temperature. And furthermore, they are the cradle of biodiversity on the planet, with a diversity of biological groups that ridicules that of terrestrial ecosystems. For all this, its value is incalculable.
Depends. There is a sea with humans and another without humans. At one extreme we find places like the Mediterranean, a sea that has been degraded over the centuries due to human activities such as fishing, the destruction and modification of habitats, pollution, overpopulation and a long etcetera. At the other extreme, there are still remote places, such as certain areas of the Pacific, the Arctic or the Antarctic, where human involvement is much less, almost non-existent. Some of these places we have studied and helped to protect thanks to the National Geographic Pristine Seas project led by Enric Sala, in which he collaborated. The difference between one extreme and the other is abysmal. If we add to all this the modifications that climate change and invasive species are producing, we can affirm that there is very little left of the truly pristine, ancestral ocean.
The Mediterranean has been changing since the arrival of Homo sapiens, although its degradation has increased in the last 100 or 150 years when, for example, the presence of monk seals, great white sharks, hammerhead sharks was not unusual. Today it is totally different and we cannot revert it to its original situation. However, Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems have suffered much greater degradation than marine ones, beginning as early as the Neolithic. I don’t think it’s convenient to follow the same steps.
Exact. But a hundred years ago, humans did not have such a technical capacity to exploit or modify marine ecosystems. And the amount of pollutants that our ancestors threw into the sea has no point of comparison with what we are generating now. Many of our daily activities generate a series of harmful residues, such as huge amounts of organic matter, waste chemicals, heavy metals, plastics, detergents or medicines, which end up in the sea. The rise of all these products has been exponential over the last century. And it is inappropriate to think that all this has no effect on the environment and the sea. For all this, together with fishing, overpopulation, invasive species and climate change, it is impossible to have a sea like it was a hundred years ago.
It is imperative to learn more about and investigate the sea and find solutions to minimize its pollution and overexploitation. In the Mediterranean, for example, which is an almost closed sea, the human effect is more present than in the Pacific. It is a sea with a lot of human pressure since time immemorial.
Until now, the percentage of oceans explored is very low, mainly due to its immensity and the high cost of this type of research. On the other hand, we all want healthy and clean oceans, and this is due to the key role that companies play when it comes to adopting practices that promote the circular economy, reducing their environmental footprint and the use of plastics. In addition, they must also take into account the management of their waste. All of this is important to prevent the destruction of marine habitats.
The Mediterranean is like a miniature ocean. There are many processes that occur in the ocean that occur more immediately here, such as the overexploitation of resources or warming. Therefore, the changes are easier to analyze than in a large ocean. It should also be noted that it is a focus of marine diversity, since it is home to 6% of the world’s marine diversity, occupying only 1% of the ocean surface.
I think we should enjoy the sea. If we do not enjoy the sea, we will not be able to know or appreciate it and, therefore, we will not do anything to protect it. However, we must know how to appreciate the sea in environmentally sustainable terms and thus we will reduce its degradation. For example, it is preferable to use kayaks than jet skis to enjoy a day at sea.
I think that everything happens through awareness. If we are educated to be environmentally responsible, we will be able to enjoy the sea much longer since we will stop this degradation. However, I think we have to turn all this around and start thinking about regenerating the sea. This can be done through the creation of marine reserves, responsible fishing, a reduction in pollutants and, ultimately, a sustainable use of the marine environment. We have to see the sea as a living ecosystem, not as an amusement park, a supermarket or a garbage dump. We must take care of it.
Currently there are many companies that are clear that they must be involved with sustainability. Because if they don’t, we won’t make the planet sustainable, and we will end up disappearing. Initiatives like the Bluewave Alliance, promoted especially by ISDIN, I think are very interesting, since they aim to unite companies, scientists and entrepreneurs to promote innovative projects that really have a positive and globally scalable impact. Because it is important that everyone, including companies, be aware that we do not have a spare planet and the one we now have must be protected and cared for.
Yes, but companies need the help of the scientific world to push them to make this change in the right direction. When I have given talks about the wonders we have on the Mediterranean coast and how important it is to preserve them, I have had an impact on the people who listened to me. But if I can talk to big companies, the impact will be greater. Talks in schools are important, of course, but we can’t wait for our children or grandchildren to become aware so we can act in favor of the sea. We will not arrive on time. We must start now with the companies, with society and politicians who make decisions now.
I am very grateful, of course. I have worked a lot for the sea, and receiving an award not only recognizes me, but also all my collaborators, with whom I want to share this award. I believe in initiatives like the Bluewave Alliance, as it will make all of us who care about the seas and oceans work together.
