Our Oceans & Climate Change: What Effect Does Climate Change Have On The Ocean

The ocean, spanning up to seventy percent of Earth, is the reason why all breathing organisms are still here today. It aids in air supply and regulates the temperatures from the equator to the poles. Climate change has detrimental effects of global warming on oceans to the point that it threatens the future existence of mankind. 

So, how does climate change affect the ocean?

For starters, ocean global warming is killing off the coral reef. The coral reef is home to hundreds of sea creatures, which means they’re in danger as well. The coral reef is affected in two ways: coral bleaching  and ocean acidification. As the temperature rises, the coral reef is legitimately getting “bleached,” which results in shrinking and dying. Acidification is being caused by the toxins from melted items, such as plastic, which is breaking down the coral reef and hurting the ocean as a whole. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide; as ocean acidification grows more severe, it is unable to absorb as much as it used to, which is in turn cutting off our air supply. 

The ocean is also experiencing higher sea levels as a result of ocean global warming. The reason why sea levels are rising is due to factors such as ice melting into the ocean and heat expansion. This is a very worrisome effect since it can lead to wetlands drowning. In addition, it poses the risk for the coral reef to drown since it can only photosynthesize in shallow waters. This is also ruining the homes for a lot of fish. As the sea levels rise and regulation gets thrown off, fish are migrating to other areas for shelter, which results in poor fishing conditions and starvation for mainland animals that depend on them. 

Every little thing helps. Be conscious and help make a change for our oceans in any way that you can!