--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you think the ocean isn't important…" description: "\"If you think the ocean isn't important, imagine Earth without it. Mars comes to mind. No ocean, no life support system.\" — Sylvia Earle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/sylvia-earle-1756_earth_if-you-think-the-ocean-isn-t-important-i_2444240.jpg" --- # If you think the ocean isn't important, imagine Earth… ![“If you think the ocean isn't important, imagine Earth without it. Mars comes to mind. No ocean, no life support system.” quote by Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/sylvia-earle-1756_earth_if-you-think-the-ocean-isn-t-important-i_2444240.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/sylvia-earle-1756_earth_if-you-think-the-ocean-isn-t-important-i_2444240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/sylvia-earle-1756_earth_if-you-think-the-ocean-isn-t-important-i_2444240.jpg) > “If you think the ocean isn't important, imagine Earth without it. Mars comes to mind. No ocean, no life support system.” [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The ocean is essential for Earth's life support; without it, the planet would be barren and uninhabitable. **In simple terms:** The ocean sustains life on Earth. Key Takeaway Protect and value oceans. Themes environment life support planetary health Mood concerned urgent Type environmental educational When to use this quote - policy advocacy - education curricula - personal conservation actions Key Concepts ecosystem services climate regulation biodiversity Questions to Reflect On - How would you reduce your impact on ocean health? - What policies could better protect marine ecosystems? A Different Perspective Neglecting ocean health leads to irreversible damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mars/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Support System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-system/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The ocean is our life support system. No blue, no green. It's really a miracle that we have got a place that works in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-ocean-is-our-life-support-system-no-blue-no-green-it-s-really-a/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The most important part is to take on the challenge of protecting the ocean as if your life depends on it - because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-most-important-part-is-to-take-on-the-challenge-of-protecting-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The mind, that ocean where each kind Does straight its own resemblance find; Yet it creates, transcending these, Far other worlds, and other seas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-marvell/the-mind-that-ocean-where-each-kind-does-straight-its-own-resemblance/) [Andrew Marvell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-marvell/) > [If the ocean was made of vodka and I were a duck,i would swim to the bottom and never come up. But since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-ocean-was-made-of-vodka-and-i-were-a-duck-i-would-swim-to-the-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I love the buildings. They're called skyscrapers. They're the closest thing to an ocean here. But it's an ocean that goes straight up, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-macdonald/i-love-the-buildings-they-re-called-skyscrapers-they-re-the-closest/) [Ann-Marie MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-macdonald/) > [I was thinking of the parallel between the ocean, the life and the music. The ocean is everything. It's calm, but brave - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-g/i-was-thinking-of-the-parallel-between-the-ocean-the-life-and-the/) [Karol G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-g/) > [On the ocean of life let your mind be the ship and your heart be the compass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-manning/on-the-ocean-of-life-let-your-mind-be-the-ship-and-your-heart-be-the/) James David Manning > [I set my own course through the ocean of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lockwood-huie/i-set-my-own-course-through-the-ocean-of-life/) [Jonathan Lockwood Huie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lockwood-huie/) > [“RECURRENT CURRENTS Like the ocean, life ebbs and flows with the occasional rip Kamil Ali”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/recurrent-currents-like-the-ocean-life-ebbs-and-flows-with-the/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [On our honeymoon we talked and talked. We stayed in a beachfront villa, and we drank rum and lemonade and talked so much that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/on-our-honeymoon-we-talked-and-talked-we-stayed-in-a-beachfront-villa/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [People think that the ocean is big enough to sustain anything we throw at it - its hard to get into your head that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/people-think-that-the-ocean-is-big-enough-to-sustain-anything-we/) [Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/) > [Imagine a dolphin dancing in the sky. Let it dance with joy. Think of yourself at the bottom of the ocean watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/imagine-a-dolphin-dancing-in-the-sky-let-it-dance-with-joy-think-of/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Movies like 'The Abyss' and 'Jaws' make people think the ocean is threatening. It's not. It's very tranquil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hawkes/movies-like-the-abyss-and-jaws-make-people-think-the-ocean-is/) [Graham Hawkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-hawkes/) > [“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop were not there, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa-of-calcutta/we-ourselves-feel-that-what-we-are-doing-is-just-a-drop-in-the-ocean/) [Mother Teresa of Calcutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa-of-calcutta/) > [“What do you think about when you can't sleep? Sometimes I think about the ocean. I can see it lapping on the shore, waves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-r-hubbard/what-do-you-think-about-when-you-can-t-sleep-sometimes-i-think-about/) [Jennifer R. Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-r-hubbard/) ## More by Sylvia Earle > [We still have 10 percent of the sharks. We still have half of the coral reefs. However, if we wait another 50 years, opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-still-have-10-percent-of-the-sharks-we-still-have-half-of-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Health to the ocean means health for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/health-to-the-ocean-means-health-for-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Evolution is not something to be feared. It's to be celebrated, embraced, and understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/evolution-is-not-something-to-be-feared-it-s-to-be-celebrated/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [We are depleting this immense diversity and abundance of life, and it matters tremendously for the future of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-are-depleting-this-immense-diversity-and-abundance-of-life-and-it/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/my-mother-was-known-as-the-bird-lady-of-the-neighborhood-anything/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [There is this sweet spot in time when we have an opportunity to stop killing sharks and tunas and swordfish and other wildlife in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/there-is-this-sweet-spot-in-time-when-we-have-an-opportunity-to-stop/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-sudden-release-of-five-million-barrels-of-oil-enormous-quantities/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've always said, 'Underwater or on top, men and women are compatible.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-always-said-underwater-or-on-top-men-and-women-are-compatible/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [With respect to the ocean being the heart of our blue planet: We are often asked, 'How much protection is enough?' We can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/with-respect-to-the-ocean-being-the-heart-of-our-blue-planet-we-are/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [If the sea is sick, we'll feel it. If it dies, we die. Our future and the state of the oceans are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/if-the-sea-is-sick-we-ll-feel-it-if-it-dies-we-die-our-future-and-the/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The ocean seemed like a sea of Eden. But now we are facing paradise lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-ocean-seemed-like-a-sea-of-eden-but-now-we-are-facing-paradise/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When you think about the real cost of so-called cheap energy that has driven our prosperity to unprecedented levels, for some of us, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-you-think-about-the-real-cost-of-so-called-cheap-energy-that-has/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [When I arrived on the planet, there were only two billion. Wildlife was more abundant, we were less so; now the situation is reversed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-i-arrived-on-the-planet-there-were-only-two-billion-wildlife-was/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [I've had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. I wish I could take people along to see what I see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-had-the-joy-of-spending-thousands-of-hours-under-the-sea-i-wish/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [The observations that have developed over the years have given us perspective about where we fit in. We are newcomers, really recent arrivals on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-observations-that-have-developed-over-the-years-have-given-us/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) [Explore all 211 Sylvia Earle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) ## More Earth quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Cities are 2% of the earth's crust, but they are 50% of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/cities-are-2-of-the-earth-s-crust-but-they-are-50-of-the-world-s/) [Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. 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