Issues Effecting Marine Ecosystems
Marine life
Human Pollution Impact
Debris and oil spills causes, a lot of problems for Marine life and animals, that cause damage to Marine Ecosystems. Marine animals such as turtles, seabirds and marine mammals can ingest debris that can lead to loss of nutrition, internal injury and intestinal blockage.
The Great Barrier Reef
Global warming on the Great Barrier Reef
The warmer air and ocean surface temperatures brought on by climate change impact corals and alter coral reef communities by prompting coral bleaching events and altering ocean chemistry. These impacts affect corals and the many organisms that use coral reefs as habitat.
Effects of pollution
Coral reefs are also being degraded by many other factors. The list of problems can seem endless.The pollution from sewage and agriculture, cause massive outbreaks of predatory starfish, invasive species, and sedimentation from poor land use practices.
Importance Of The Reefs
Coral reefs are important for many different reasons aside from supposedly containing the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
They provide
- protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms
- provide habitats and shelter for many marine organisms
- are the source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chains
- assist in carbon and nitrogen fixing
- help with nutrient recycling.
The Importance Of Healthy Ecosystems
Reducing biodiversity can lead to the breakdown of healthy ecosystems,
healthy ecosystems provide us with
- natural resources, such as foods and drugs
- services we depend upon, such as recycling and purification of water and air, the creation of soil, and the break-down of pollutants
- social, cultural and recreational activities, such as those found in our many unique National Parks, World Heritage Areas and the other special places we like to visit
- high species diversity.
Oil spill on marine Animal
Since most oils float, the creatures most affected by oil are animals like sea otters and birds that are found on the sea surface or on shorelines if the oil comes ashore. During most oil spills, seabirds are harmed and killed in greater numbers than other kinds of creatures.
Overfishing
Many species of fish are now endangered and face the risk of extinction due to overfishing. What our marine systems need are environmental laws, policies and safeguards that point out how much fishing is legal and required. Few fisheries have started to realize the need to protect our oceans from overfishing.
pollution and debris
lastic garbage, which decomposes very slowly, is often mistaken for food by marine animals. High concentrations of plastic material, particularly plastic bags, have been found blocking the breathing passages and stomachs of many marine species, including whales, dolphins, seals, puffins, and turtles. Plastic six-pack rings for drink bottles can also choke marine animals.
5 Human Impacts on the Environment: Crash Course Ecology #10