5 Ways Climate Change Is Harming Marine Life

As the topic of climate change becomes more heavily debated in politics and mainstream media, it can be easy to lose sight of why it’s such a big deal in the first place. Why should we care about the ocean? How does the ocean affect the climate? Well, to put it simply, the climate is completely controlled by the ocean. So, when the ocean is being mistreated, the climate reacts. Check out our list of effects of climate change to understand a little bit more on how it’s harming marine life! 

Ocean Acidification

Out of all of the current effects of climate change, ocean acidification is one of the most detrimental. As plastic melts, toxins are released into the air and then absorbed by the ocean. As a result, the ocean’s acidity has increased by 25 percent. This high acidity has started to break down the coral reef, which is home to millions of marine animals.

Destroying Wetlands and the Coral Reef

There are a lot of factors that contribute to high sea levels, such as ice melting and heat expansion. As the sea levels rise, wetlands are being drowned. In addition, the coral reef is also being drowned since it can only photosynthesize in shallow waters.

Coral Shrinking

As the temperature rises, the coral reef is also being bleached and shrunk over time. As it breaks down, the home to most of the marine life is suddenly unsheltered. 

Fish Relocation

The increased ocean temperature and high sea levels are causing fish to migrate to areas with better conditions. This sudden relocation is detrimental for fishermen and even animals on land that depend on the fish for survival.

Endless Cycle

As the ocean becomes for acidic, less sulfur is being released from the ocean into the atmosphere, which reduced solar radiation back into space and causing the temperatures to continually rise.