The Effect of Climate Change on Marine Life Ecosystems

Victoria Franklin

This presentation explores the effects of climate change on marine life ecosystems. As our society continues to emit excessive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, the effects of those emissions are seen in our oceans in the form of warming sea surface temperatures, decreased oxygen content, and ocean acidification. These changes have affected marine life on the microscopic scale, exemplified by Copepod population decline and Pteropod shell dissolution. Warming sea surface temperatures have also caused the slow demise of Atlantic salmon and unprecedented northern migration of the Bluefin tuna. On an even larger scale, the effects of climate change can be seen in the countless episodes of coral reef bleaching, which have displaced and threatened the thousands of marine species that inhabit these reefs. A shift into renewable energy and sustainability is imperative if humans are to maintain the beautiful biodiversity of our vast oceans.