A Vanishing Wave

The world's oceans are under greater threat than previously believed.

Thousands of dead fish in Rio.

The Triple Threat

• "The trio of acidification, warming, and deoxygenation is affecting the oceans in a very deadly way." according to a report made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Oceans are warming up due to a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fertilizers and other sewage can cause a reduced amount of oxygen in the ocean due to the algae that forms from the trash. Also carbon dioxide has the ability to create a weak acid when reacting to sea water.

Extinctions 

• Conditions in the ocean right now are very similar to those during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum which to led to widespread extinction. But the worst part of this is the fact that the condition we're in right now is increasing at a much quicker pace.
• Acidification, a large issue in the ocean right now has the ability to threaten marine organisms that use calcium carbonate in their skeletons. Crabs, coral, oysters, and some plankton are at a risk, which could have huge impact considering that they are vital in the marine ecosystem. 

For my next post i'll be focusing on the effect by which our fishing industry is having on the environment.