Phytoplankton populations have also been affected by the warming temperatures in the ocean. Phytoplankton play a role in the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic carbon, and since the rising temperature of the ocean has caused a decrease in the phytoplankton population, higher carbon dioxide levels endanger other marine life, like the coral reefs mentioned earlier. Callum Roberts, a professor at the University of York, explains the importance of marine life by stating that, “They are essential to the health of the oceans and the well-being of
The sea animal cannot adjust to these changes in the ocean due to global warming. Pollution is another big problem that is threatening our ocean. The ocean has become a dumping ground. These toxins are affecting the ocean in a harmful way. This is also hurting sea life.
Drowning in Plastic It’s hard to imagine life without plastic. It’s everywhere: covering our food, holding our purchases, protecting our loved ones, saving patients in hospitals and floating along our waterways and oceans. The thought of living in a world surrounded by toxic chemicals and pollution is a thought which many would rather not think about. Plastics have revolutionised the world in which we live, but with dire consequences. The production of these toxic-filled substances continues to lead the human race on a path of natural destruction; with thousands of animal sea-life dying annually from plastic consumption.
The dead zone is littered with the carcasses of dead sea animals. There are 405 dead zones reported world-wide. Natural and Human Impact Dead zones can be caused by both natural and human impact on the environment. High levels of chemical nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) cause algae blooms to flourish. After the algae accumulate, it dies, decomposes and depletes the oxygen in the ocean creating a dead zone.
What has happened to destroy so many reefs? Human population has become very large, and earth is warming. There are two different ways in which humans have contributed to the degradation of the Earth's coral reefs, indirectly and directly. Indirectly, we have destroyed their environment. The large population centres near coasts has led to silting of reefs, pollution by nutrients that lead to algal growth that smothers the coral, and overfishing that has led to increase in number of predators that eat corals.
Runoff Quality of the water flowing from the a\land is critical to the reef’s health. The ones near the mainland are the most damaged because of human activities. The land use activities near the coast increases freshwater runoff and the build up of silt. As more land is eroded by human activities the runoff increases destroying the vegetation. Fertilisers, sewage and pollutants can have direct impact on the coral reefs.
Elevated pH can in turn ‘blind' organisms that rely on perception of dissolved chemical cues for their survival by impairing their chemosensory abilities (Figure 3) (Turner & Chislock 2010). When these dense algal blooms eventually die, microbial decomposition severely depletes dissolved oxygen, creating a hypoxic or anoxic ‘dead zone' lacking sufficient oxygen to support most organisms. Dead zones are found in many freshwater lakes including the Laurentian Great Lakes (e.g., central basin of Lake Erie; Arend et al. 2011) during the summer. Furthermore, such hypoxic events are particularly common in marine coastal environments surrounding large, nutrient-rich rivers (e.g., Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico; Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay) and have been shown to affect more than 245,000 square kilometers in over 400 near-shore systems (Diaz & Rosenberg 2008).
Since fish is the main target of mercury contamination, humans are at a lifethreatening risk by toxic effects mercury. Thus, production of toxic methyl-mercury in the upper ocean due to bio-accumulation and build-up of this poisonous compound in marine food web due to bio-magnification is of a vital concern for the humans. Study of marine biochemical cycle of mercury with its potential sources and sinks is really necessary to find effective remedies to diminish the dangerous effects of this shiny-white metal. This review presents biological and physical processes that drive biochemical cycle of mercury in the global oceans with the potential sources (such as river, atmosphere, sediments, and hydrothermal vents) and sinks (such as bioaccumulation in marine fish, and scavenging due to sinking particles). Spatial, vertical and temporal variations of elemental mercury and human exposure to deadly effects of methyl-mercury are also presented in this study.
October 9, 2012 “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” Today’s society is facing a big problem with pollution, probably when we talk about pollution you just think about air pollution. But Captain. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Pacific Garbage is an endless floating waste of plastic trash, that is killing many sea animals and underwater vegetation, but Captain Moore mission is to draw attention to the growing, and choking problem of plastic debris in our seas. The Great Pacific Patch stretch for hundreds of miles across the Pacific Ocean, basically the North part is forming a floating junkyard.
The Consequences of Overfishing Overfishing has been identified across the world as a prominent environmental issue. Fish and other marine animals, such as sharks, sea turtles and dolphin, are retrieved from the oceans through indiscriminate fishing practices at a rate that cannot be sustained by natural reproduction (Jackson, 2001). Systematic overfishing with bottom trawling, dredges, and drift nets depletes the ocean of innumerable species at an alarming rate and alters the ecological balance in marine environments. The actions of shortsighted commercial fishermen have brought tremendous adverse environmental and economic consequences upon the entire world. The continuation of unrestricted fishing will worsen world hunger among impoverished coastal communities, many of whom depend on the abundance of fish to feed themselves and their families, and result in ultimate environmental chaos and the extinction of thousands of In recent years, the demand for fish, a healthy food rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein, has sky-rocketed.