The Problems:

Overfishing: High demand for bluefin tuna is causing people to pull more tuna out of the ocean then the ocean can naturally produce. That’s not a good thing.

Health Concerns: Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for bluefin tuna due to elevated levels of mercury and PCBs. It might taste good, but it’s not as healthy as you think.

What happens if tuna continues to be caught at this rate?   Simply put, the population could be wiped out.

The Atlantic population has declined by nearly 90 percent since the 1970s, and new measures are not being put in place to change this trend. Even though I’m not a statistician, those numbers don’t sound very good to me.

And, if you don’t think this is possible, well, it is. In the 1990s the cod fishery collapsed. Canada’s cod industry plummeted in value from $1.4 billion in 1968 to just $10 million in 2004. The fishery collapse caused huge economic fallout in New England and the coastal towns of eastern Canada, resulting in massive job losses, foreclosures on homes, and businesses going under. Some experts are comparing the current tuna population decline to what happen to the cod population. Pretty crazy, right? Absolutely!

Big Solutions, now!

Big problems require big solutions, but unfortunately time is not on our side. Demand is increasing, the market is paying big dollars for the fish, and industrial fishing is reaching remote parts of the ocean that were difficult to access in the past.

I know what you’re thinking – so what can I really do to make difference? The truth is, it is very difficult to have a major impact on this issue as an individual, unless you have that the charisma of Ghandi or Martin Luther King. But does that mean you should sit on the sidelines and do nothing? NO WAY.

You can definitely make smart consumer decisions and not purchase bluefin tuna. You can also spread the word to your friends, family and community. There is power in numbers – that $173,600 selling price is solid proof. There are also committed organizations working to implement fisheries reform. These organizations are capable, committed and well-placed, and are very focused on this issue. The good thing to do is to find an organization that you believe in, and support them anyway you can. There is hope, but it is going to take a lot action at different levels to make a reality. It is possible, I truly believe that. So let’s do it now before tomorrow’s tuna becomes yesterday’s cod.

LEARN MORE: Food security, Turning science into sustainable fishing, Eating seafood

Tim Noviello is the Marine Communications Manager at Conservation International

I forgot to mention that all along the way you need to be sure that the food you eat isn’t made of plastic that just looks like food (which can mess you up real bad), you should avoid getting run over by a speeding boat (which can crack your shell), you better not get caught in a net or on a hook (which are everywhere these days), and last but not least you have to hope and pray you’re not eaten as turtle soup (sounds gross, but some people like it A LOT).

Did I mention that you are a sea turtle (and your brain is the size of a pea)? Impressed? You should be. Sea turtles are AMAZING animals!

The point is that life is pretty darned hard if you’re a sea turtle. And it’s made much. much harder because of humans going about their business of eating, fishing and using plastic stuff.

The good news is that there are lots of things we can do to make the ocean way safer for sea turtles and other wildlife, not to mention healthier place for ourselves.

So, here’s your REAL sea turtle mission. I assume that you are willing to accept it since you’re watching a sea turtle race and you’ve read this far…

Plastic doesn’t belong in the ocean. It doesn’t belong on land, in rivers or lakes either, for that matter. So, avoid using it whenever possible. People all over the world are cutting disposable plastic bags, cups, plates, bottles and utensils out of their lives. It’s not hard to do.

When and if you eat seafood make sure it’s not connected with fishing methods that kill sea turtles. Not a single sea turtle should die for your fish sandwich or shrimp cocktail. Ask before you eat.

LEARN MORE: Blue Ocean Institute Sustainable Seafood Program

Seeing turtles is one of the mostly inspiring and joyous experiences we humans can have. If you’ve never seen a turtle, or want to see more, be sure to do it in a way that directly benefits endangered turtles. The SEE Turtles project can help you out.

We all need to dive in to this Ocean Revolution, take personal actions to solve problems facing turtles and our oceans, evolve our lifestyles and share our ideas wildly. In short, “LIVE LIKE YOU LOVE THE OCEAN“

Viva la Ocean Revolution!

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is a scientist, activist, community organizer, author and dad. He works to inspire a deeper connection with nature, sometimes simply by walking and talking, other times through writing or images. Science and knowledge can also stoke our fires. But he knows that what really moves people is feeling part of and touching something bigger than ourselves.

Rock music heroes R.E.M. are teaming up with Olympic swimming legend Janet Evans to give Nightswimmer, a 440kg (970 lbs) female leatherback turtle, all the support she needs to win the Great Turtle Race.

Listen to R.E.M.’s Mike Mills discuss why he and his bandmates got involved in the Great Turtle Race, and what he thinks about Nightswimmer’s prospects in the Race. Listen Now!

How would you like your dinner choices to give your favorite turtle a leg up in the Great Turtle Race? Better yet, wouldn’t it be great if your evening menu helped turtles all over the globe (and seabirds, and fish, and marine mammals, and sharks)?

A quick search on the Internet, or even a text message – if that’s more your speed – can have great results. When it comes to seafood, knowledge is power: use what you know to choose seafood that conserves marine life and habitat.

Our seafood selections can affect hoards of swimming creatures. Learn about the impacts of different fishing and fish-farming methods by checking out www.blueocean.org/seafood or send a text to FishPhone™ to get instant information on a fish you might consider. Text FISH and the name of the species you would like to learn more about to 30644 (e.g., FISH MACKEREL, or FISH CLAMS); in under ten seconds Blue Ocean will send you our recommendation and the reason for it.

Fishing vessels catch the fish that we purchase for dinner, but in the process, they also kill or wound other species (and sometimes younger fish of the same species). That “bycatch” can include those sea turtles that you’re watching right now on www.GreatTurtleRace.org. The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that one quarter of the world’s commercial marine catch is bycatch (approximately 20 million metric tons).

With 6 of the world’s 7 species of marine turtles listed as endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), bycatch can have a major impact on turtle populations. The IUCN and the National Marine Fisheries Marine Fisheries Service list incidental catch in marine fisheries as one of the main threats to the 6 species of marine turtles with low numbers (the other being threats to nesting and hatching turtles). Globally, most sea turtle populations are imperiled. The ones doing best are in the Caribbean and southeast U.S., and the reason is a lot of organized conservation work and something called a TED. Read on.

Turtles end up as bycatch when they are caught in nets dragged along the sea floor, a common practice by fisheries targeting shrimp. Turtles are also snagged on the hooks and lines of longlines that stretch miles. Longlines are used to catch near-surface species including Swordfish, Mahimahi, and tuna, and also bottom fish of various kinds.

The good news is that effective methods can decrease bycatch. In the U.S., Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) are required on shrimp boats fishing in federal waters; they are a grate that block turtles from entering the deepest part of a trawl net and shunt the turtle out an escape hatch. An innovation in longline fisheries is the use of circle hooks, which hook fewer turtles and, if they do hook them, hook them in the mouth (where the hook can be removed safely) and seldom hook them in the gut. This allows fishermen to more easily release turtles unharmed.

By selecting fish caught in ways that result in less bycatch – or farmed varieties – you can keep turtles in the race. Thinking about ordering the shrimp cocktail? Make sure it’s from a U.S. fishery (which has to use TEDs), or U.S. farmed shrimp. See why those are your best choices at www.BlueOcean.org.

Check out the Blue Ocean website to get an idea of what other species result in less bycatch. Ask your server for where the fish came – and see if they know. There are lots of people who wield their forks in favor of marine life, so don’t feel like you’re single-handedly trying to save the sea. You can start just by being informed and motivated.

Katherine McLaughlin is the Seafood Program Director for Blue Ocean Institute, a global nonprofit marine conservation organization based in East Norwich, NY. Kate coordinates the translation of scientific information related to seafood for the dissemination to wide audiences through varied and creative media. Prior to joining Blue Ocean, Kate held a fellowship with the American Fisheries Society and Sea Grant, where she co-organized a symposium and edited the accompanying proceedings volume, Mitigating Impacts of Natural Hazards on Fishery Ecosystems.

Dr. Carl Safina brought ocean conservation into the environmental mainstream and is founding president of Blue Ocean Institute. His award-winning books include “Song for the Blue Ocean,” “Eye of the Albatross,” and “Voyage of the Turtle.” He’s been profiled by the New York Times, Nightline, and Bill Moyers, and his awards include a Pew Fellowship, Lannan Literary Award, John Burroughs Medal, and a MacArthur Prize, among others.

RELATED: Q&A: The Fisheries Crisis