The Dying Oceans 

Climate change is maybe the most serious issue of this time. Nearly every day, there are reports on forest fires in Australia, floods all over the world and long-lasting droughts. Even you yourself will probably have noticed changes in your environment. But, in all these reports, the oceans are mostly forgotten. Even thought that oceans significantly influence the whole climate on our earth. If you want to know why oceans influence our planet so much and what led to the critical situation of them, then this article is the perfect choice for you. 

Reasons for the critical situation of the oceans 

You have probably already heard about overfishing and it`s consequences for the specific types of fish. The demand for these fish is so large that fish like the northern bluefin tuna are just before extinction. Such as pollution is an issue on land, it is even worse in the oceans. Plastic bags are eaten by turtles and other sea creatures, from those consequences they later have to die. Wastewater and exhaust gases in the oceans turn the individual ecosystems into a mix of toxins. In addition the warming of the water leads to the death of coral reefs all over the world. The factors are diverse, but they all contribute to the death of the oceans. 

Destruction of the ecosystem and the natural food chain 

In particular, climate change itself is contributing to the dying of the oceans. The oceans absorb a lot of heat from the air. As a result, they become warmer and warmer. Since they can no longer cool down due to continuous warming, the oceans become a gigantic cooking pot. Thus, many marine creatures lose their natural habitat and have to retreat to another habitat or become extinct. In addition, the higher CO2 content in the water, which is influenced by the CO2 content in the air, forms carbonic acid. This acidification of the oceans causes the calcium carbonate to dissolve in the water. This is a problem in the sense that animals in particular that incorporate limescale into their shells lose their protection due to the dissolution of the limescale. This, in turn, can lead to an even greater extinction of species in the oceans, as these shellfish are an important source of food for many more inhabitants of the ocean. 

Burning point coast 

Coastal areas that continue to be destroyed include wetlands, salt marshes, tidal flats, coral reefs and mangrove forests. Wetlands such as bays or tidal flats are often destroyed by large construction projects and land reclamation. For example, in 2006, off the coast of South Korea, Saemangeum Bay (then the third largest Wadden Sea) was separated from the sea to gain land. The salt marshes and the reed belt on the Bay of San Francisco were also destroyed to create settlement areas. But most of the damage is most likely to be done to coral reefs. Coral reefs are extremely species-rich zones that are home to up to three million species of fish, mussels, corals or bacteria. Ocean warming, in particular, is a problem for them, as corals‘ symbionts die when the water is too warm. But overfishing, various construction measures and the general pollution of the water also contribute significantly to the death of coral reefs. Furthermore, the importance of mangroves for the population of certain fish species should not be underestimated. This is because many small fish and juvenile fish hide under water between the wide branches of the roots. Moreover, mangroves protect coastal areas from tsunamis and storms. They are mainly threatened by deforestation and digestion. 

More plastic than fish in the oceans 

According to a study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which was presented in Davos at the beginning of 2016, by 2050 there will be more  plastic than fish swimming in the world’s oceans. The amount of plastic that enters the world’s oceans every minute today is equivalent to a truckload. If the trend continues, this amount will double by 2030 and quadruple by 2050. This would allow all fish in the world’s oceans to be wrapped in a consumer-friendly way. 

I hope this post let you think more about the state of our oceans and I am looking forward to other comments.