Climate Change Threatens Life Below Water!

"Global warming has been changing life in the ocean for at least 60 years," says the senior author Mark Costello, who is a professor of Marine Biology at the University of Auckland. Global warming due to climate changes has been driving thousands of aquatic lives into danger over a long period. Not only in the oceans but also the aquatic life in tropical water has been increasingly threatened, due to this issue.

What is the issue?

As we all know climate change is a result of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Global warming is one issue caused by the problem of climate change. Unfortunately, it causes the main consequence of our various activities. Step by step with the increase in human population, we all are dragging our nature into danger through polluting the environment.

Why is it important?

Oceans, Lakes, waterfalls and many more watery resources consist a large part of our planet and include rich biodiversity. The whole aquatic life is affected by this change caused by global warming. The oceans soak up heat and greenhouse gases easily, like a sponge. When looking over the last ten years, we can see the precious habitation of aquatic life, mainly oceans, has absorbed 90 percent of the additional warming.

Various species of aquatic animals are finding it hard to accept the changing climates. Fish, seabirds, and marine mammals all are facing a huge risk with these warming water bodies. In the aquatic world, this issue tends to raise the temperature at sea level, changes the monsoon patterns, and extreme weather events. These various diseases affect this watery heaven directly and indirectly as well. There are some sensitive conditions upon the physiological behavior and growth pattern of organisms in aquatic lives. Subsequently, the impact of warming water tends to decrease the reproductive capacity and finally cause mortality. Not only with the fish, but the reproduction area of sea turtles has also narrowed because their coastal habitats have been destroyed by sea-level rise. Aquatic animals are very vulnerable to climate change because the average temperature of both air and water are changing simultaneously.

What can be done?

As humans, we are changing Earth’s climate. The future we choose is a cautionary tale of two futures for the earth and aquatic lives as well. The first scenario is what would happen if we try to change this climate change and the second scenario considers what would the world look like if this damage increases further. The first and best solution for the sake of these aquatic lives is to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Further, as short-term solutions, we can organize programs to protect marine and coastal ecosystems, restore marine and coastal ecosystems, and improve human adaptation such that the governments can introduce policies to keep fisheries production within sustainable limits. Well, as humans, protecting this aquatic life is our role. Maybe it will be too late for our children, but it’s not late for us. The time to act is now.

- Rtr. Dinushika Chithrani -