3 Tragic Consequences of Global Warming on Ocean Biodiversity

How marine life is affected by ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation

A huge number of species live in our oceans and are affected by climate change (credit: Irina Markova on Shutterstock)

Credit: This article is based on the scientific article “Climate change-accelerated ocean biodiversity loss & associated planetary health impacts” by Byomkesh Talukder, Nilanjana Ganguli, Richard Matthew, Gary W. vanLoon, Keith W. Hipel, and James Orbinski. (Full citation and link available at the end of the article)

Currently, our planet is suffering from the tragic consequences of three crises at the same time: the climate change, pollution, and biodiversity crisis. Biodiversity refers to the different plants and animals living in a certain habitat. But even though they are addressed as separate crises, they can also make each other worse.

For example, biodiversity loss contributes to climate change. In a previous article, I explained how biodiversity can influence our planet’s climate by showing how whales contribute to mitigating climate change: World Changers: 4 Reasons Why Whales And Their Poop Are Important.

But unfortunately, the opposite is true as well: climate change also affects biodiversity. This is critical as biodiversity is essential for keeping ecosystems healthy. An ecosystem is a biological community consisting of…