Four Ways Climate Change Affects the Oceans
To measure what is truly going on with the Earth's climate, respectable scientist turn to the oceans.
The oceans occupy more than 70% of our planet's surface, there average depth is 2.
4 miles, and they provide 99% of the Earth's living space.
The oceans are the largest place in the universe known to be inhabited by living things, provide most of the world's protein consumed by humans, and nearly 90 percent of trade between countries is transported by ocean vessels.
Sadly, more oil reaches the oceans each year from leaking automobiles than is spilled by major accidents such as the one on the Gulf Coast in 2009, and climate change may alter the oceans so much that someday the earth will become unlivable.
Rising Sea Level Because more than 80% of the extra heat produced by human activity is absorbed by the oceans, sea levels are rising.
Many people falsely believe that rising sea levels are caused from the melting of the polar ice caps; this is untrue.
When water absorbs heat, molecules expand and water levels rise and this process has many devastating effects including erosion and the loss of animal nesting grounds Ocean Acidification Because water can easily absorb carbon dioxide, the oceans are becoming more acidic.
This process has a dramatic effect on the food chain.
Many reputable scientists predict that a significant amount of sea life, food that humans depend upon for survival, will vanish over the next 60 years.
This is a direct result of ocean acidification.
Acidic seawater has the greatest negative impact on the smallest organisms of the sea.
Filter feeders, invertebrates, and crustaceans, that are the major food source for the larger animals of the ocean, are slowly dissolving from acidic water.
If this trend continues, a vital protein source for human consumption will be lost forever.
Coral Reef Destruction Because coral reefs are living breathing organisms, their existence is greatly impacted from climate change.
Coral reefs provide humans with a wide variety of resources including medicines that help treat heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening conditions.
Coral reefs make up about 1% of the ocean floor, but over 3000 Marine species depend upon coral reef habitats for their survival.
Coral reefs are the largest living structures on earth and they have survived for more than 100 million years.
Without the coral reefs protection, many shoreline communities will cease to exist Variations in the Ocean's Major Current System Because ocean currents play a major role in the Earth's weather patterns, rising ocean temperatures will greatly impact many species that depend upon ocean currents for nutrition and reproduction.
Most scientists agree that variations in the ocean's major current system are gradual, but few refute the notion that the gradual change is wreaking havoc around the globe.
The dramatic increase in catastrophic weather events over the last few decades is a magnanimous warning that all humans must take notice and do their part to slow the inevitable effects of climate change.
Please do your part and support educational and environmental organizations that help motivate people to take action and enact positive change.
Get educated and make a donation today!
The oceans occupy more than 70% of our planet's surface, there average depth is 2.
4 miles, and they provide 99% of the Earth's living space.
The oceans are the largest place in the universe known to be inhabited by living things, provide most of the world's protein consumed by humans, and nearly 90 percent of trade between countries is transported by ocean vessels.
Sadly, more oil reaches the oceans each year from leaking automobiles than is spilled by major accidents such as the one on the Gulf Coast in 2009, and climate change may alter the oceans so much that someday the earth will become unlivable.
Rising Sea Level Because more than 80% of the extra heat produced by human activity is absorbed by the oceans, sea levels are rising.
Many people falsely believe that rising sea levels are caused from the melting of the polar ice caps; this is untrue.
When water absorbs heat, molecules expand and water levels rise and this process has many devastating effects including erosion and the loss of animal nesting grounds Ocean Acidification Because water can easily absorb carbon dioxide, the oceans are becoming more acidic.
This process has a dramatic effect on the food chain.
Many reputable scientists predict that a significant amount of sea life, food that humans depend upon for survival, will vanish over the next 60 years.
This is a direct result of ocean acidification.
Acidic seawater has the greatest negative impact on the smallest organisms of the sea.
Filter feeders, invertebrates, and crustaceans, that are the major food source for the larger animals of the ocean, are slowly dissolving from acidic water.
If this trend continues, a vital protein source for human consumption will be lost forever.
Coral Reef Destruction Because coral reefs are living breathing organisms, their existence is greatly impacted from climate change.
Coral reefs provide humans with a wide variety of resources including medicines that help treat heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening conditions.
Coral reefs make up about 1% of the ocean floor, but over 3000 Marine species depend upon coral reef habitats for their survival.
Coral reefs are the largest living structures on earth and they have survived for more than 100 million years.
Without the coral reefs protection, many shoreline communities will cease to exist Variations in the Ocean's Major Current System Because ocean currents play a major role in the Earth's weather patterns, rising ocean temperatures will greatly impact many species that depend upon ocean currents for nutrition and reproduction.
Most scientists agree that variations in the ocean's major current system are gradual, but few refute the notion that the gradual change is wreaking havoc around the globe.
The dramatic increase in catastrophic weather events over the last few decades is a magnanimous warning that all humans must take notice and do their part to slow the inevitable effects of climate change.
Please do your part and support educational and environmental organizations that help motivate people to take action and enact positive change.
Get educated and make a donation today!
