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The Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Marine Wildlife

Ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB, is emitted by the sun. Although ultraviolet light does provide us with benefits such as the production of vitamin D, overexposure can have serious negative effects ranging from sunburn to cancer. In marine wildlife, exposure to ultraviolet radiation can be especially devastating, impacting life not only in the oceans but throughout the ecosystem.

  1. Plant Life

    • Phytoplankton (the smallest plant organisms in the world) are the foundation of the global food chain, inhabiting the uppermost layers of the world's oceans. Increases in UVB exposure trigger an immediate protective response from plankton, causing them to sink lower into the water. Although this ensures the survival of the individual organism, it also means that the plant receives less sunlight for photosynthesis, thus stifling growth. Another concern is that UVB may simply kill off entire populations of plankton, potentially leading to the collapse of the entire food chain.

    Animal Life

    • UVB radiation has been found to cause damage to all varieties of aquatic animals including fish, shrimp, crabs, amphibians and sea mammals. Effects can range from decreased reproductive capability to impaired larval development. The aquatic animals most affected tend to be the smallest, as even tiny increases in UVB exposure can decrease size in mass and population. Fewer small aquatic animals means that larger animals have less to feed on, depleting population numbers across the spectrum.

    Biogeochemical Cycles

    • The oceans represent one of the most critical biogeochemical, or nutrient, cycles in the entire ecosystem. Through evaporation, condensation and precipitation, water moves chemical elements across the biosphere. Increases in ultraviolet radiation can cause instability in the Earth's natural cycles and lead to an increase in greenhouse gases. For example, phytoplankton store huge amounts of carbon in the oceans. When the plankton population decreases, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere increases, raising global temperatures. Such changes can greatly destabilize planetary function.

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