'The ocean is in trouble'

Sylvia Earle stays in a submarine at the aquarius habitat.[Photo/China Daily]

Earle shared her experience from her recent expedition in Costa Rica in Beijing. It is one of the world's most famous places to see sharks, and it is also well known as a marine sanctuary where a great deal of illegal fishing goes on, decimating both the local shark population and sharks that are passing through on their migrations.

In a recent interview, she told UK newspaper The Guardian that she stopped eating fish "probably 40 years ago".

"Basically I have come to understand the value of fish alive in the ocean, just as we've come to understand the value of birds alive to keep the planet functioning in our favor," she says.

However, Earle said in Beijing that she "resisted telling any individual what he or she should or should not consume, because it's a personal choice".

"But I have no problem with making them learn the consequences of their choices might be. The biggest barrier for protection anywhere in the world is not knowing or understanding the consequences of your actions."

Chinese media recently reported that China plans to expand its fishing operations and focus on small crustaceans known as krill, which Earle says "is ecologically dangerous".

According to the scientist, krill are the cornerstone of the entire living Antarctica ecosystem, because krill are among the small organisms that can access phytoplankton－microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh. Like land plants, phytoplankton have chlorophyll that capture sunlight, and they use photosynthesis to turn it into chemical energy. Krill feed on phytoplankton, converting it into a form suitable for many larger animals, including whales, seals, penguins and seals, for whom krill makes up the largest part of their diet.

"Never in the history of China or any other country until very recent decade have krill being targeted for extracting from this amazing and very critical world," Earle said.

They are an important trophic level connection－near the bottom of the food chain. "If you take them away, you take a critical link out of the system. So what do seals eat, what do the whales eat," she said. "They need krill, we don't."

Still, she is optimistic for the future. "Young people in China are a cause for great hope," she says. "Making a decision to say no to shark fin soup is a decision that can resonate the world."