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Global warming has become a very debatable issue in the press lately, with important public figures such as the Pope openly speaking about the dangers we are exposed to unless authorities do something about it.
Indeed, there are many recent studies that show global warming is accelerating and it is threatening to affect almost every species living on the planet, starting with insects and ending with humans themselves.
A new study carried out by researchers from the University of British Columbia shows that the danger marine life is exposed to due to global warming is as real as it gets and greater by the day.
The massive and increasing burning of fossil fuel causes an abundance of greenhouse emissions. These affect sea creatures more than we can imagine and more than they have already been affected by discarding waste and residues into the ocean, the destruction of ecosystems and excessive fishing.
Because the water absorbs most of the excess heat from the atmosphere and more than a quarter of the carbon pollution, it is safe to say that the level of CO2 in the oceans and seas on the planet is extremely high. This has led to an increased temperature of the surface of the water, which is warmer than it has ever been. It was estimated that it has been warming up by an average of 0.13°F every ten years.
The acidification of the ocean can greatly affect all marine life, from plants to fish because of the lack of oxygen present in the water.
“The ocean is at the frontline of climate change with its physics and chemistry being altered at an unprecedented rate so much so that ecosystems and organisms are already changing and will continue to do so as we emit more CO2,” said Carol Turley, one of the authors of the study, who works for the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
The researchers concluded that this is happening at a faster rate than the Great Dying phenomenon recorded 250 million years ago.
The water on our planet is of utmost importance because it is most of all a source of oxygen and it helps regulate the weather. Thus, it can safely be said that it is not only fish that depend on a healthy environment of seas and oceans but also humans.
The researchers prompt the authorities to take drastic measures to decelerate global warmth in order to prevent it from having devastating effects on our lives more than it has already done.
Image Source: aquaviews
