Sheltering the Deep - Assignment Example

Sheltering the Deep Sabine Jessen in her essay “Sheltering the Deep” makes an impassioned plea to protect Canada’s rich and varied marine heritage. She puts forward the idea of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a solution to the threats that Canada faces to her marine life. According to her, the challenge to protect the various species of marine plants and animals is very real, and unless urgent measures are taken the health of these ecosystems are at great risk. The author’s objective in writing this essay seems to be to educate the reader about the wealth of Canada’s marine life.

Jessen emphasizes the need to protect depleting marine ecosystems from pollution and other human interventions. She underscores the need to find new ways to protect these marine environments, and bats for the concept of marine protected areas, that have been successful in other parts of the world. Although she concedes that marine protected areas are not the solution to all the problems; she encourages the reader to take a fresh look at the various species that exist in an ecosystem, and consider the symbiotic relationship they share.

Her efforts are directed towards awakening the reader to the rich cultural heritage of the region that preserves early forms of life on earth as well as some unique plant life, and the need to protect it before it is too late. The author’s diction conveys her love of the treasures in the deep. Her choice of words like “adorn the underwater cliffs” (185) to describe the underwater plants and animals conveys the fact that she considers these jewels of the sea. Jessen conjures up striking word pictures of the beauty of nature’s bounty.

Her use of metaphors like “perched off the southern tip of Vancouver Island” (185) conjures up a picture of a bird, ready to fly away at the merest hint of danger. Jessen’s extensive use of alliteration to describe nature’s beauty gives an almost poetic quality to the piece. When the author describes “other marine mammals” that “frequent the waters foraging” (185); or her portrayal of “soaring walls and spectacular scenery” (187) of the fiords of Baffin, enhances the aesthetic appeal of the essay.

Her use of euphony as in “speckled trout spawn in the shallow bays”, (186) gives a harmonious mellowness to the piece that is both pleasing to the ear as well as conveying the harmonious nature of an ecosystem. Jessen’s use of denotation when she describes the fate of ancient mariners pitted against the “treacherous waters and well known fury of Lake Superior” (186) gives ample proof of the hazards of inviting nature’s wrath. The report is organized around the various areas that are being or are likely to be developed as marine protected areas.

Jessen uses various methods to develop ideas in this essay. She uses the persuasive, descriptive and the cause and effect methods to put across her point. She describes the natural beauty of the area, coaxing the reader to have fun while also protecting the environment. She opens up possibilities of activities like Kayaking, diving and swimming with the sea lions, or watching them as they bask in the sun, or frolic in the water. Jessen also effectively uses the cause and effect method to warn the reader that if steps to protect these ecosystems are not taken in time, animal and plant species may die out.

The visual images give the reader an idea of where a particular area lies. It adds clarity to the description in the written text, giving an enhanced picture of the area. For instance, when the author talks about “two deep troughs and a shallow shelf at its entrance” (187), or the numerous “inlets, fiords and bays along the coast of Baffin Island” (186) these are visible in the picture and makes understanding easier. I think the author chose the examples she did because these are some of the sites where the most stunning marine life exists.

Yet they are endangered by mindless human activities. Activities like boat traffic, oil and gas exploration and pollution due to dumping, if prohibited can be a boon to saving the environment.