What’s the relationship between climate change and the ocean?

Of course, the numerous ways in which climate change affects the ocean have knock-on effects.  

The ocean acidification from increased CO2 levels can harm marine life. Marine species with calcium carbonate shells, like corals and shellfish, are particularly at risk.  

Rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and warming temperatures can lead to the loss of habitats and displacement of marine species. They can also cause ‘coral bleaching’, which is when corals expel the algae living in their tissues and die. 

The increased water temperature can cause damage to marine ecosystems. The melting of glaciers and ice sheets that result from warmer water threatens the survival of species living in arctic habitats, including seals and polar bears. 

The rising sea levels that are a result of the melting ice mean that many low-lying land masses, such as Small Island States, are becoming more and more submerged under water. Many coastal communities that rely on the ocean and shoreline for their livelihoods and way of life are also under threat from these rising levels. 

The decrease in the ocean’s oxygen levels leads to some areas suffering from deoxygenation, creating ‘dead zones’ in which marine life cannot survive. 

As ocean temperatures change, fish and other marine animals may migrate to cooler waters, potentially impacting fishing communities and food security.