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).
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. Warming of the ocean causes corals to sicken and die. Even a rise of one degree in the average water
The release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon also known as an oil spill has a large negative effect on the ocean. Oil is commonly used by individuals however often oil can be a problem to organisms and their inhabitants. Oils spills are a form of pollution and there are various sources of oil in bodies of water. There are several scientific solutions for oil spills, as well as possible ways to prevent this harmful pollution. In 2010 ,172 million gallons of oil spilled from a whole on the ocean bed in the Gulf of Mexico.
Microscopic pieces of plastic, such as microbeads, could quite easily be mistaken for a sea animal's prey. Fish and birds are affected the most by floating plastic, most times consuming large sized pieces and later dying due to obstruction. Although, all of these factors may be convincing it's only us causing this, pollution can be what is called 'point' and 'non-point'. Non-point pollution is pollution from sources such as sewage leaking, rainfall, or snowfall . Point pollution is pollution coming from one place, such as a sewage treatment plant or a factory.
Below the vast swelling body of water lays another world filled with many species of sea animals from the dawn of creation and more that are still left to be discovered. However, this fascinating place is also contaminated with horrifying inventions against nature which must be sought to be protected and conserved. There is a tremendous amount of trash produced each day that can end up in the ocean and further pollute it. A specific focus is placed on the many particles of plastic debris that end up maneuvering through the water. Shockingly, there will result in more plastic in the ocean than fish by the year 2050.
Solar radiation has been suspected to play a role in coral bleaching. The consequent exposure to high or low temperatures, increased solar radiation, desiccation, and sea water dilution by heavy rains could all play a role in zooxanthellae loss, but could also very well lead to coral death. -Fresh water dilution Rapid dilution of reef waters from storm-generated precipitation and runoff has been demonstrated to cause coral reef bleaching. Generally, such bleaching events are rare and confined to small, near-shore areas. Nearly all of the world’s major coral reef regions (Caribbean/western Atlantic, eastern Pacific, central and western Pacific, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea) experienced some degree fo coral bleaching and mortality during the 1980s.
Besides global warming there is another problem with this beautiful structure and that is the result of several local natural and human factors such as over fishing. Silt from deforested lands and pollution from crowded coastlines choke them, and overuse and destroy coral reefs. There are many other factors which if they are not stopped it will destroy all coral reefs. Corals are animals, not plants; sunlight is the key to their survival. They need it to power the millions of microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae, that live in their tissues.
Both runoff of fresh water from the land and rainfall may dilute water along the seashore. Alternatively, tide pools may become saltier than the sea because of evaporation during exposure at low tide. Both perturbations tend to increase in magnitude as height above the mean low tide line increases (Laboratory Manual for Principles of Biology, 1992). [pic] Figure 1. The marine intertidal zone.
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.
The acidic nature of acid rain falls into rivers and lakes and make them acidic enough to hurt aquatic organisms living in them. The normal acid level for lakes and streams is around 6.5. Fishes and animals that live in the water have some sort of tolerance to the acid in water, but the lower the PH level gets, so does their body weight. At lower than 5 PH, adult fish can start dying and most fish eggs cannot hatch. It can create a disturbance to ecosystems, because different fish have difference tolerance