February 20, 2013
XKCD: More ships in the oceans than fish, by weight
How much would the sea level fall if every ship were removed all at once from the Earth’s waters? – Michael Toje
About six microns—slightly more than the diameter of a strand of spider silk. […] Sea levels will likely rise a few feet by the year 2100. Current fish wet biomass is about 2 billion tons, so removing them won’t make a dent either. (Marine fish biomass dropped by 80% over the last century, which—taking into consideration the growth rate of the world’s shipping fleet—leads to an odd conclusion: Sometime in the last few years, we reached a point where there are, by weight, more ships in the ocean than fish.) [more]
