“Dominant in many parts of the world”

New research reveals that our warming planet and human activities are putting thousands of sea creatures at risk of extinction, even in remote areas relatively untouched by industry.

what is happening

As One Green Planet reported, a research team studied the impact of ocean acidification, rising ocean temperatures, and industrial activities such as shipping and fishing on more than 21,000 species marines around the world. The head of the research, Casey O’Hara, explained that marine heat waves are affecting more species than previously thought, even in areas far removed from human activities.

“We found that climate stressors are dominant in many parts of the world, even far from direct human interactions with the ocean, particularly rising sea surface temperatures, marine heat waves and ocean acidification,” O’Hara told Newsweek.

For the study, the team used the physical characteristics of each species, such as body size, how they breathe and whether they build shells, to determine how different stressors affect the animals.

O’Hara explained that because large marine mammals like whales need to periodically come up for air, they are more threatened by ship impacts. Meanwhile, smaller shell-building species such as coral and molluscs are vulnerable to ocean acidification.

In addition, the findings showed that marine animals living in highly biodiverse coastal regions face a greater risk of extinction than previous studies suggested, as reported by One Green Planet.

The team found that species that need calcium to build shells, such as molluscs and crustaceans, including shrimp and lobsters, are particularly at risk of extinction as they are affected by stressors caused by man and environmental changes.

Why is the increasing risk of extinction among marine animals a concern?

According to The Nature Conservancy, more than 3 billion people worldwide depend on healthy oceans to provide them with an important source of animal protein. In addition, between 10% and 12% of the world’s population lives from fishing and shellfish harvesting. If thousands of marine animals go extinct, that could mean less food on the table and less economic opportunity for many communities.

Furthermore, the complex web of marine life can only be sustained with a large amount of biodiversity. The extinction of numerous species at once would disrupt the food chain and cause ripple effects in marine ecosystems.

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For example, coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species even though they occupy less than 0.1% of the ocean floor, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. They also serve as natural barriers against hurricanes and tsunamis, helping to protect life and property in coastal communities.

What is being done to preserve marine species?

According to One Green Planet, researchers believe that marine protected areas are critical to conserving marine biodiversity. Fortunately, conservation groups and government leaders are coming together around the world to ensure our oceans are protected for both humans and animals.

Last year, more than 200 countries signed the “High Seas Treaty” to establish marine protected areas around the world. In Hawaii, no-fishing areas have helped boost populations of previously threatened yellowfin and bigeye tuna.

However, researchers say more work is needed to safeguard the oceans.

“The better we understand how species and ecosystems are affected by human activities and climate change, the more opportunities we hope to create for targeted conservation management that is ecologically effective while also being politically and economically viable,” said O ‘Hara in Newsweek.

We can contribute to healthier oceans by eating more plant-based foods to reduce overfishing and by upgrading our appliances to electric options, which will reduce pollution and help lower the planet’s temperature.

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