The oceans contribute so much to the survival and well-being of life on Earth. They are subject to the most severe effects of global temperature increases over many decades.
A special IPCC Report published in 2019 showed that the oceans (which account for 70% of the Earth’s land area) had absorbed between 20-30% of artificial CO2 emissions. According to the Fifth Evaluation Report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, they also drank over 93% (combined energy) stored by warmed ocean, land, and heated air since the 1970s.
According to ABC News, experts believe that the tipping time is coming. However, there are several ways to unite to create a better ocean state — this is what the United Nations World Oceans Day theme says.
Oceanic Global’s CEO and founder Lea d’Auriol declared, “We consider the oceans the greatest ally to combat climate change.”
The dilemma that species face is whether or how to adapt.
The “condition of total inequalities” is the state of the oceans, d’Auriol said. More than three billion people rely on the fishery industry for their seafood.
“If they wanted to question someone about climate changes, they would probably receive an answer from scientist,” Arlo Hill (senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace USA) stated to ABC News.
Long-time fishermen and anglers have observed changes, including the appearance of new species that venture north in response to an increasing water temperature.
Martin Grosell of the University of Miami’s Department of Marine Biology and Ecology stated, “Marine organisms retain the same temperature level as the surrounding water.” Temperature also increases as temperature rises. Temperature increases cause organisms to require more energy for their daily activities. Grosell noted that water has a lower level of oxygen as a function of temperature.
Hemphill stated that the global migrations are causing havoc in ecosystems worldwide, even though they appear harmless. Hemphill pointed to Hemphill for an example of the timing of when brown sea seals appear.
Anne Christianson, a director of international climate strategies for the Center for American Progress, stated in a statement that species continue to die because of repeated heatwave events.
Coral reefs, according to scientists, are one of the most fragile marine ecosystems. Coral bleaching, when the corals become too warm and lose their algae, is what turns them completely white.
According to a National Academy of Sciences report, coral reefs are unlikely to continue growing if greenhouse gasses are substantially decreased. This means 94% might have been destroyed by 2050 under the worst-case scenarios.
MORE: Scientists warn that melting Arctic Glaciers could have disastrous consequences for the global economic system. Here’s how.
Brenda Ekwurzel, the Union of Concerned Scientists Climate scientist’s director, stated to ABC News that reefs are often a sign of the health of an environmental environment.
Ekwurzel noted that Arctic ice-dependent mammals, such as polar bears and ringed and seals, are also at risk. These mammals live almost exclusively off Arctic ice.
Mangroves are in danger, as are seagrass, marshes, and mangroves. These plants absorb carbon dioxide and store it in the atmosphere.
The amount of dead areas is on the rise
Hypoxia, also known as a dead zone, occurs when algal flowers sucker up all oxygen. This makes it impossible to sustain marine life. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this is called “biological wilderness.”
Science published a 2008 study showing that 400 dead zones exist worldwide. d’Auriol said that there were now about 900 dead zones.
Hemphill stated that dead areas often occur in areas of high nutrient absorption, such as the Mississippi River Basin, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
For the oceans to be protected, we need collective actions
According to d’Auriol, scientists highlight the need for conservationists and conservationists to work together to solve problems.
This means ensuring the marine protected area’s health by eliminating all housing, fishing zones, or shipping traffic.
Christianson said governments would have to make policies to ensure the safety of both human life and the healthy oceans.
Christianson stated that there was no single solution to this crisis, both on land and at sea.
However, experts believe that the ticking clock is the race to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade dramatically.
Ekwurzel stated, “we can’t afford to delay those solutions any further.”
d’Auriol said that ocean preservation and protection are only possible if we can eliminate the misconception that oceans are a different environmental issue than climate change or the conservation of biodiversity.
“Because we live on a water planet, and it’s responsible for sustaining all of life on Earth,” she stated.