Introduction
Climate change changes climatic patterns linked to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect. Man undertakes the activities after using fossil fuels, resulting in the emission of gases; therefore, the ocean has been impacted. This has resulted in the fluctuation of temperatures, acidity, and lack of enough oxygen in the water. The ocean’s circulation is also impacted such that the sea level and the strength of the storm increase. Climate change also alters the richness of marine animal species. Therefore, the consequences of climate change on seawater have had harmful impacts, including irreversible damage to the water’s natural environment, health issues, and interruption of the ecological system of the ocean.
Main body
The ocean plays an essential role in regulating the climate of the earth. Research has shown that the ocean has absorbed 93% of the gases produced that enhance the greenhouse effect. This has resulted in the warming of water at a depth of 1000 (Donovan, 2021). As a result, ocean separation has grown (the obstruction of water mixing due to surface waters’ various characteristics), ocean circulation regimes have changed, and reduced oxygen zones have expanded. Changes in ocean species’ territorial boundaries and growth cycles, changes therein richness, and quantity of lifeforms in the ecosystems are currently being documented. Simultaneously, climate patterns are shifting, with severe occurrences becoming more frequent.
Increased acidity is causing harm to so many aquatic creatures that rely on lime to construct their skeletons. According to Sterlini et al. (2017), if water seeps excessively acidic, calcareous production is interrupted. It is affecting the ecosystem such that organisms like coral reefs will not create their place of living. Due to increased acidification in the ocean water, reduced Sulfur is released into the atmosphere. This results in the reduction of the reflection of heat energy from the sun back to space, leading to more warming.
Sea level rise is ‘drowning’ habitats, which is partially due to radiation transferred to oceans. These regions usually expand vertically, keeping pace with rising sea levels (Sterlini et al., 2017). However, this surge has now got to the stage where marshes’ blades can no longer stay above the ocean. Plants that photosynthesize in shallow waters are at risk of drowning. Nevertheless, suppose wetlands, ocean life, and even seagrass beds can cope with increasing sea levels. In that case, various criteria will be determined, along with how fresh they have been and how pure the ocean water is.
Moreover, the rising sea level has also led to the decline of coastal and marine habitats endangering the residents’ physical, financial, and sustainable livelihoods and global enterprises’ access to resources. It reduces the oceans or coastlines’ capacity to supply valuable ecosystem functions, including food, resource conservation, and air generation, and promotes environment capacity-building strategies. Acceptable coastal environmental dimensions, protection, and recovery are critical for the constant supply of ecosystems that humans rely on for survival. For the water’s vitality to be preserved, a zero-emission trend is required.
The species in the marine are becoming more vulnerable due to the increase of the acidic water in the ocean. The capacity of sea creatures such as reefs, phytoplankton, and oysters to construct their shell and internal components is harmed by acidification (De Wit et al., 2018). It also exasperates existing metabolic stressors (including obstructed breathing and procreation) and lowers development and improved survival in several animals throughout their different life cycle stages. Furthermore, due to rising temperatures, numerous marine animals are migrating to the polar, impacting fisheries all over the globe.
The prolonged production of carbon capture and other ecosystems humans rely on requires resource efficiency, protection, and regeneration of coastal habitats. Organizations set to protect marine life may regulate the activities undertaken by humans to reduce the degradation of the environment. They can set regulations that prohibit these environments from being converted to other green spaces, such as restricting coastal expansion, which can help to assure their preservation.
Countries should also adopt rules and guarantee that sustainability solutions are used in all enterprises that influence water and coastlines, such as recreation and fishing.
They should also fund for the researchers to guarantee that climate change consequences are continuously monitored and analyzed. The information acquired would also be utilized to create and execute relevant and efficient adaptation policies. Reduced use of carbon fuels, increased utilization of renewable resources, and lower carbon emissions all require ambitious worldwide initiatives. Carbon dioxide and other Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will have less of an influence mainly on the ocean as a result of this.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the deterioration of coastal marine habitats endangers coastal populations’ physical, financial, and nutritional products, which account for approximately 40% of the global population. Fishing vessels, native and other maritime groups, multinational commercial organizations, and the tourist industry are now feeling the consequences of global warming, especially in Small States (SIDS) and Underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the countries should enforce the laws that would protect the ocean since it plays a vital role in regulating the world’s temperatures. The objective is to capitalize on existing possibilities, such as protecting particular coastal fossil habitats by decreasing greenhouse gases caused by afforestation and executing the laws used in the governance of the coastal region.
References
De Wit, P., Durland, E., Ventura, A., & Langdon, C. (2018). Gene expression correlated with delay in shell formation in larval Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) exposed to experimental ocean acidification provides insights into shell formation mechanisms. BMC Genomics, 19(1). Web.
Donovan, R. (2021). Deep-ocean cooling may have offset global warming until 1990. Eos, 102. Web.
Sterlini, P., Le Bars, D., de Vries, H., & Ridder, N. (2017). Understanding the spatial variation of sea level rise in the North Sea using satellite altimetry. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 122(8), 6498-6511. Web.