Impact of Global Warming on the Ocean

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The ocean is the largest water body that covers 70% of the Earth’s surface. In this giant pool, thousands of known and unknown species thrive and create massive food web and environment. For several centuries ocean had and still is providing us with seafood, salt, minerals, transportation, and even leisure. However, in return, humans had leaked toxic chemicals, dumped trash, over-captured fishes and sea organisms, and destroyed environment and geography. Also, due to humans’ ever growing carbon usage from burning fossil fuel had made Earth and ocean temperature unnaturally hot. Today, as the result, the ocean had become a rotten pot of seafood and toxin. Although regret is always too late, if people realize this danger as an imminent threat and change, it is possible to revive the ocean. Global Warming Global warming is one of the biggest environmental issues not just for the ocean, but also for the entire Earth. The global warming is caused by greenhouse gases such as the carbon dioxide and methane, which create an invisible cover around the Earth. The cover or the atmosphere with the green house gases lets in the sunlight but do not let the reflected light back into the outer space. This is known as the greenhouse effect. Ice Caps Are Melting The global warming had great impact on Artic ice. From 1979, more than 20% of Arctic ice has melted away due to increased surface air and ocean temperatures (Farmer 9). Also, the accumulated area loss is approximately a third of continental US. Although, melting of sea ice does not directly contribute to sea level rise because this ice is already floating on the ocean, it contributes to sea level rise in another indirect way. First, the ice’s albedo effect has a major role in reflect... ... middle of paper ... ... Ocean 102. 29 Apr. 2014. Reading. Ricciardi, Michael. "U.S. Businessman Conducts Massive and ‘Illegal’ Ocean Fertilization Experiment Off Canada’s West Coast." PlanetSave. Sustainable Enterprises Media, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Sharma, P. D. "Liebig's Law of the Minimum." Ecology and Environment. Meerut: Rastogi Publications, 2010. 103. Print. Stern, Pamela R. Daily Life of the Inuit. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2010. Print. Washington, Haydn, and John Cook. Climate Change Denial: Heads in the Sand. London: Earthscan, 2011. Print. Webster, Noah. "Thermal Expansion." Webster's Students Dictionary for Upper School Levels: A Meriam-Webster. New York: American Book, 1943. N. pag. Print. Welch, Laine. "NOAA: First Evidence of Acid Oceans Harming Pteropods=45% of Pink Salmon Diet." Alaska Fish Radio. Genesis Framework, 01 May 2014. Web. 02 May 2014.

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