Think that greenhouse gasses are only messing up the Arctic? Think again.
It’s bad news for all marine life this week, as a new study has shown that the oceans are changing too fast, and that it’s not a good sign for its wildlife.
Carbon dioxide levels are rising at a rate way to quick for species, including sharks and other top predators to adapt and evolve, with whole habitats also in line to be affected.
Carbon dioxide in the water is currently around 400 parts per million, compared with only 270 parts, 100 years ago.
Sharks and turtles start building brittle skeletons and end with their skeletons dissolving altogether…
This change is literally acidifying the oceans, which will break down whole ecosystems and prevent wildlife from taking ions dissolved in the water, needed for building strong skeletons.
The effect of this will start at animals such as sharks and turtles building brittle skeletons and end with their skeletons dissolving altogether.
Of course, oceans change all the time and species adapt to their surrounding over hundreds of years.
Problem is, that was before we started burning tonnes of fossil fuels, these changes are expected within a only a few decades. That’s less than the average lifespan of one turtle.
So can we do any thing about it? Well, yes and no…
We can’t change the acidity of the ocean any time soon, but we can give some extra time to the animals it affects through a major cut back on over-fishing.
Less fishing means strong individuals, which in turn forms a next generation of more resilient animals.
Let’s get the nets out of the water and give those fishes a chance!