DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — Saturday is World Oceans Day, a United Nations international day designed to draw attention to the role of the oceans in our lives and on our planet and to coordinate actions to preserve their quality.
World Oceans Day also aims to raise awareness of the impacts of human activities such as overfishing, pollution, dumping and the burning of fossil fuels on the oceans.
The oceans cover 70 percent of the planet and provide 50 percent of oxygen, according to the UN. The organization also says that 40 million people will be employed in the marine industry by 2030.
The vast ecosystem is also home to the world’s greatest biodiversity and supplies almost the entire planet with food and medicine.
But human activities such as waste disposal, overfishing and the burning of fossil fuels are taking their toll. 90 percent of major fish stocks have now been depleted and 50 percent of coral reefs have been destroyed.
The problem is made worse by the consequences of burning fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels leads to a warming of the atmosphere through the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
The impacts are well documented and include higher temperatures (globally), changing precipitation patterns (some places experience more frequent floods, others more extreme droughts), more wildfires, and wetter tropical cyclones, which (in parallel with sea level rise) can cause greater damage from storm surges.
The oceans are important because they store excess carbon, are the world’s largest carbon sink, and regulate our climate. But planetary warming and climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels are having significant impacts on the oceans.
Warmer oceans are causing ice caps and glaciers to melt. This is especially significant at the poles. In 2023, a study found that the record low level of Antarctic sea ice is the result of climate change. In the Northern Hemisphere, Arctic sea ice in 2023 was at its fifth lowest level in 45 years.
As this ice melts, sea levels rise. This causes a number of problems, including rising water tables, saltwater intrusion into freshwater habitats, saltwater intrusion into aquifers (drinking water sources), and higher storm surges, exposing more coastal areas to the impacts of destructive tropical cyclones.
Several fish and marine species have already changed their migration routes and habitats due to the warming of the planet and waters. Warmer waters also lead to marine heat waves, which cause stress to aquatic organisms and habitats.
In addition, more carbon dioxide in the water leads to a higher acid concentration. The consequences are devastating for sensitive organisms such as corals. Coral bleaching occurs, destroying coral reefs and the life that depends on them.
When an actor is removed from an ecosystem, it leads to a collapse of the ecosystem, which in turn can have negative environmental, health and economic consequences worldwide.
To combat these problems, the UN proposes several solutions. These include restoring vegetation (such as mangroves) and protecting corals, investing in cleaner energy sources, reducing carbon emissions in shipping (green shipping) and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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