Our earth used to be a lush and beautiful place, full of vibrant vegetation and non-kindled species of varying size and origin, but due to human existence we have become an indistinguishable planet parasite that further plagues the planet for our needs to survive generation after generation. Even though some of us truly try to do no harm, the actions we take to better ourselves have altered the ocean. By using fossil fuels to generate energy, the fumes are destroying the atmosphere by allowing ultraviolet rays to eradicate coral reefs. Our means of travel allow invasive species to be transported to places where they should not reside, and the means of feeding us Omega 3 and other ingredients are causing the ruin of some marine species because they were not intended to be eaten. Although ocean life has a long controversial history, there are a growing number of marine animals in crisis due to climate change, invasive species and overfishing. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The most compelling evidence is climate change. It is caused by humans and has existed for approximately 218 years (Weart 2018) and continues to be ignored in American politics because the topic is seen as “irrelevant. ” Is it irrelevant when California is burning in flames? Is it irrelevant when the ocean is infested with corpses of fish and endangered species, like the manatee? This process began with the start of the first industrial revolution. From 1800 to 1870, greenhouse gas production began to increase with the use of coal and railroads (Weart 2018). As technology began to increase, it was discovered that the greenhouse effect was caused by polluted air trapped in the atmosphere. Scientists began to realize that due to the amount of carbon dioxide, they were beginning to show signs of increasing climate change. (Shaftel 2018) In 1870 we are hit by the second industrial revolution. This brought with it the discovery of fertilization, chemicals and electricity. (Weart 2018) During this time humans were discovering ways to exploit and control the use of this growing technology. Wars were waged over the use of fossil fuels and resources were a must for a growing population. In this way, scientists observed and predicted catastrophic events that would take place in the more distant future, leading to the decline of the Arctic ice sheets and the danger to the ozone layer (Weart 2018). As a result of all these factors in the past, the ozone layer has suffered incurable damage that has affected ocean life. UV rays are having harsh effects on marine life. Marine life with greater vulnerability to the sun faces changing behaviors. An example of this is phytoplankton, because they are very vulnerable to UV rays. Their activities will change with their biochemical cycle of carbon dioxide absorption (Przyborski 2001). In the Antarctic, due to the tearing of the ozone layer, photosynthesis decreased by a small percentage due to the decrease in phytoplankton floating towards the surface (Przyborski 2001). This disruption has caused a change in the ecosystem in some parts because organisms have to adapt to the new environment. Marine organisms that live in shallow water, such as corals, face harsher times in the sun and experience bleaching that kills them and provides no protection or shelter for the animals that live there. Whitening is caused by extremely high temperatures. That isit causes stress to corals and expels unicellular algae, causing them to lose their color and food source (Earth Journalism Network, 2016). In Australia. the Great Barrier Reef risks dying completely due to warming ocean water. Because we continue to use fossil fuels, we are not allowing coral to recover. Without government support, heat stress on corals is growing due to green gas pollution (Winton 2018). When greenhouse gases are absorbed by the ocean there is not enough phytoplankton to transform carbon dioxide in UV-induced photosynthesis. When carbon dioxide is not filtered out it increases the hydrogen potential of the water. The ocean has absorbed approximately 525 billion tons of CO2, as much as 22 million tons per day since the industrial era (Bennet, 2018). Although scientists believe in a natural way to eliminate carbon dioxide, such as photosynthesis, it is not so fast enough to achieve the rapid absorption of carbon dioxide (Bennet, 2018). Too much acidification alters generations of shelled organisms. The acidity of the water causes the shells of some organisms to become soft and deformed. Without this adaptation sea creatures are dying. Shelled organisms must grow through a process of harvesting carbonate for their hydrogen ions, with acidification making it more difficult for them to harvest this key ingredient. They have to spend more energy on that production instead of reproducing. (Bennet, 2018) Acidification has caused the extinction of many species and pushed them out of their homes because they were unable to adapt. When organisms try to reproduce they are unable to do so because the environment is not safe to grow. Under such circumstances, warming ocean water gave the algae a great help in reproduction. This reproduction is dangerous for many marine organisms. The algal bloom blocks sunlight for plants on the sea floor and has had a poisonous impact on marine life. When an algae bloom occurs in an area inhabited by plants, they can cause dead zones due to lack of oxygen (EPA, 2017). Algae alter the habitats of aquatic life by disrupting the number of organisms that can live there. Due to the lack of oxygen, they are unable to thrive and repopulate in that area of water. It blocks sunlight for plants, and once they die, they use up all the oxygen making it impossible for the plants below to collect it and thrive (EPA, 2017). There are also harmful algae blooms that can release a toxin that causes coastal problems. waters that affect both humans and marine life (EPA, 2017). An example of this would be the recent catastrophe, Red Tide. Red tide is a phenomenon that is occurring right now on the coasts of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. Red tide consists of a harmful algal bloom called Karenia Brevis. Karenia Brevis dominates its production in the Gulf of Mexico, releases a toxin called Brevetoxin that can cause respiratory irritation due to aerosols (Sweat, 2011). This bloom has not only affected fish, but also marine mammals such as dolphins, manatees and sea turtles. Many of these animals are already close to extinction, but due to the constant use of greenhouse gases and pollution these animals could disappear sooner than we think. The increased red tide algae bloom is unlike any other bloom in the past, so information on when this one will stop is unknown and marine animal death rates continue to accumulate on beaches (NOAA, 2018). time, invasive species are a nuisance to native species.Without natural predators to eliminate them, they thrive and thrive causing further damage to the ecosystem by throwing it out of balance, but how did they get there? The answer is quite simple. Humans. When humans created the first ships, invasive species received the help they needed to get around. In today's boat and ship models, intruders can hide on the bottom of the boat, in ship hulls, ballast tanks and live wells. Some invasive species can also be introduced for aquarium purposes. Invasive species are a problem because they demonstrate competition for native species and can take away resources necessary for the survival of other species. They can destroy and disrupt ecosystems causing the abundance of native fish to decrease. Invasive species of different sizes and species can enter. They can be crustaceans, plants and starfish, but without the regulation of invasive species native marine animals are at possible risk of extinction. Without natural introduction into an environment, invasive species pose an aggressive threat by taking up too much space and rendering native species “homeless.” An example of invasive species is the lionfish and green crab. Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific but have made their way into the Atlantic oceans, the main culprit as to why they might be there is none other than humans. It is speculated that they were released due to aquarium-related issues (NOAA, 2018). They prove to be a problem in the Atlantic due to lack of predators and resource theft for many commercial fish (NOAA, 2018). Because there are so many of them that spread, they cause problems in the reproduction of other species. Being carnivorous, lionfish eat juveniles, decreasing a coral reef's population by 90% (Ocean Support, 2013). They also have an incredibly fast reproduction rate, faster than native species. Due to this factor, lionfish can take up more space and take more resources due to their voracious hunger. By eating 30 times their stomach's capacity (Ocean Support, 2013), lionfish cause more stress to coral reefs. Without herbivores eating the growing algae, coral health begins to plummet (NOAA, 2018) The fact that lionfish continue to thrive causes a lot of stress on all the natives around them, each organism working together to maintain the functioning ecosystem but with the invasion of the lionfish in their system everything begins to crumble. The European green crab is also not an innocent animal, this crab also has a voracious hunger and is a pest for fishing. They are native to Europe, but have migrated far into Asia, North/South America and Australia. (Tennessen 2011) They migrated through the ballast water of ships miles and miles away. (Tennessen 2011) The green crab poses a threat to coasts, resources, Becerra 4, and other species. Green crabs quickly adapt to new environments to increase the amount of food they forage. (Conservation 2018) Living primarily on a crustacean-based diet, this crab fends off competition with aggression and its ability to adapt faster than native species. The green crab represents an ecological threat to many native species as it destroys living space for juvenile species. (Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2013) With the decrease in juvenile fish it is not possible to increase the number of native species. By disrupting the amount of native species lurking there, you disrupt the ecosystem by taking over habitat. The destruction of eelgrass is caused by the amount of digging the crab is doing to catch its prey. (Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2013).Last but not least, the amount of overfishing that is occurring in the ocean and how it is affecting ocean life. Overfishing is a concept in which a large amount of marine life is taken for production before the species can repopulate. Overfishing is a problem worldwide, leading to great repopulation difficulties and possible cases of extinction. This is a problem not only for fish but also for marine life in general. When product is caught in a net, complications can usually occur: species not intended for consumption can become trapped and eventually die due to stress and/or lack of movement. Netting is stressful for many of the larger animals because they can become entangled in traps designed to keep production fish under close control. Catching too much fish causes an imbalance in the ecosystem and the amount of prey left for larger predators. The amount of recklessness and ignorance regarding how these fish are managed is unregulated. There are safer ways to source resources, but they are largely ignored. Atlantic blue tuna and ocean sturgeon species are endangered due to the large amount of resources cultivated by them. Atlantic bluefin tuna is facing massive population declines due to the amount of meat that can be produced from it. Weighing 500 pounds, this fish represents a great boon to Japanese industries (Evan 2014). Since Japan is a country mainly devoted to fish consumption, the large weight of fish can increase sales. However, with the increase in sales the need for this fish increases. This results in overfishing. Industries trying to keep up with supply and demand are taking too many tuna. With this rapid demand, tuna are unable to reproduce enough young to maintain the population at a safe number (Evan 2014). Tunas breed in the Mediterranean Sea, a wide range of species gather here during the summer and this represents a peak for the fishing industries, but with this peak also comes consequences. Even though the stocking of Atlantic tuna has been regulated, there are still illegal fishing actions. Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing is a common factor in the decline of this tuna. Inadequate regulation allows fisheries to take more than they need, with illegal fishing taking in 20% while fishing takes in around 50%. The large-scale theft of these fish is destroying abundance (WWF 2018). The Becerra 5 sturgeon is a popular breed for harvesting eggs which are soon transformed into caviar. Caviar is the unfertilized egg of the sturgeon. Caviar is an exotic product that usually reaches a peak in the price range for this delicacy, but with this production it has endangered many species. Removing eggs from the female sturgeon can result in the mutilation and death of this vibrant creature. When some sturgeon species reach sexual maturity between the ages of 6 and 25, they become a target for overfishing and poaching. (WWF 2017) This beautiful creature can live up to 100 years and grow approximately 7-12 feet, but with the decline of 70% over the last century it seems we may not see some of them again (WWF 2018). Even though caviar has become illegal in places like Bulgaria, an illegal trade still exists to continue generating profits. Large quantities of caviar are being seized from areas that have banned its capture and harvesting. (Protect the Danube treasure, unknown)With the destruction of the breeding grounds and the.
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