UNITED NATIONS, Sep 11 (IPS) – Human practices such as unsustainable fishing, pollution, coastal development and fossil fuel use have pushed the Earth’s oceans to their limits, resulting in warmer, more acidic waters. As global temperatures rise annually due to climate change, oceans continue to experience significant biodiversity losses, rising sea levels and environmental damage.
“Although atmospheric temperatures tend to fluctuate, the ocean is warming steadily and consistently. The State of the Ocean Report indicates that the ocean is warming twice as fast now as it was 20 years ago,” the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) said in a 2024 report.
The ocean absorbs the vast majority of greenhouse gases emitted globally, causing ocean temperatures to rise at alarming rates. This causes oxygen depletion in marine environments, which devastates marine ecosystems.
Biodiversity and ecosystem stability are crucial to ensuring the health of the planet. Without high biodiversity, access to clean air, food and water is severely compromised. Warmer waters, as a result of climate change, have made it difficult for many species to survive.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that a lack of oxygen in water can lead to hypoxia, or “dead zones,” which are environments that cannot support marine life. The EPA adds that small marine organisms, such as plankton, are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and oxygen levels. This severely disrupts the food chain, as animals higher up in the food chain are at risk of starvation and their most important prey is endangered.
In addition, oxygen depletion and overfishing have led to alarming rates of coral bleaching. Coral reefs are superorganisms that provide the fundamental building blocks for about a quarter of all marine life. They are crucial to the health of the ocean and host entire ecosystems in their own right.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated, “Because of the diversity of life in the habitats created by corals, reefs are often called the ‘rainforests of the sea.'” About 25 percent of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs. Fish and other organisms seek shelter, find food, reproduce, and raise their young in the many nooks and crannies created by corals.
Coral bleaching is particularly concerning because reefs rarely recover after being degraded. Since many ecosystems depend on coral reefs for survival, ensuring good coral health is critical to biodiversity.
Rising temperatures caused by global warming have caused ocean waters to become significantly more acidic over the years. According to the EPA, the acidity of ocean waters has increased by more than 25 percent since the Industrial Revolution.
Acidity has a significant negative impact on a variety of marine life. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), rising pH levels, which contribute to acidity, reduce the availability of carbonate, which mollusks use to create shells and other important structures. This reduces the survival chances of mollusks and puts their predators at risk of starvation.
Loss of ocean biodiversity is also a serious concern for humans. According to the World Bank, about 58 percent of global income comes from jobs in fish production. In addition, more than 3 billion people depend on fish as a crucial part of their diet. Declining levels of biodiversity in the Earth’s oceans threaten to cause widespread food insecurity. Coastal communities have been the most directly affected by the ocean’s deteriorating health. Rising ocean temperatures have exacerbated sea level rise and flooding. According to the EPA, exposure to seawater increases the risk of contracting waterborne diseases. In addition, coastal flooding causes extensive damage to critical infrastructure, such as homes, roads and salinization systems.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
