|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Ocean Warming Effects on Life

Global warming is the environmental phenomenon that is responsible for the rising temperatures in the ocean and around the planet. As oceans warm, life forms that exist in or around the water have to adapt to the new conditions, which is not always a successful process. Since oceans are a major resource for many forms of life, the impact of rising ocean temperatures has the potential to devastate certain ecosystems.

  1. Polar Bears

    • Polar bears that inhabit the Arctic are in danger of becoming extinct. By the year 2050, it is predicted that two-thirds of the world's polar bear population will be at risk for disappearing due to global warming, according to a 2007 article in National Geographic Magazine, "Most Polar Bears Gone By 2050, Studies Say." Global warming is causing the Arctic Sea to become hotter, which means that glaciers and icebergs that polar bears use for fishing and hunting are becoming less and less available. The result is that polar bears are drowning in the Arctic Sea and dying of starvation. As other animals in the ecosystem die off, the polar bears have fewer food options.

    Coral Reefs

    • Hot ocean waters are causing coral reefs to die in a process known as coral reef bleaching, according to the National Geographic Magazine. Coral reefs are home to many types of fish and ocean life, which cannot survive without the corals. The impact here is two-fold. While coral reefs are unable to recover from damages caused by warming ocean temperatures, the fish and ocean life are also dying off. A May 2006 article in National Geographic Magazine, "Global Warming Has Devastating Effect on Coral Reefs, Study Shows," says that in some places of the world, fish diversity has been reduced in half due to coral reef loss.

    New Habitats

    • Warmer ocean temperatures welcome new varieties of ocean species. As certain parts of the globe become warmer, such as Antarctica, waters become hospitable to sharks. This threatens the marine life that currently resides under and above the waters of the Arctic Sea, putting them in danger of new predators. Certain species in the area may die off if they fall victim to shark prey, such as shrimp. Crabs, which are another predator to some forms of ocean life, may also make a comeback to Antarctica if conditions are right.

    Human Life

    • Human life is threatened in certain parts of the world due to warming ocean temperatures. As oceans warm, glaciers melt. When glaciers and large ice caps melt they raise water levels, which becomes dangerous for people who live in low elevations, such as much of Florida. Shores can be washed away and covered by more water, and communities will have to rebuild inland to stay safe from higher tides. This gives people less land to occupy and use for residence and industry, which will make some areas overly crowded and populated.

Environmental Health - Related Articles