There have been a lot of strange things happening in the ocean, especially due to climate change.
To see how strange these occurrences are, here are some that are guaranteed to make you surprised:
Humpback whales
Humpback whales from the Pacific Ocean swim south in the winter and head over to the warm waters of Hawaii.
But this year there were very few of them. It is estimated that less than a third of the usual herd arrived and had fewer calves with them.
This could be due to a number of reasons such as poaching, climate change and pollution in the ocean. Whale experts don’t exactly know why this happened but the warming temperatures could be a strong indicator.
Starfish
Starfish usually proliferate a lot. They make the coral reef look more beautiful with different colors and sizes.
Unfortunately, since 2013 they have been struck by a virus and have literally started to melt off resulting in fewer starfish.
This virus is called densovirus and has spread among the starfish-like an epidemic.
Octopus
This one is a really strange phenomenon. There has been a boom in the octopus population. Climate change and the rise in water temperatures resulted in an increase in the lifecycle of octopi.
Another theory is that due to a lot of fishing, only octopi have been left in the ocean to fill out the spaces and not be any other fish’s prey.
Dungeness crab
Dungeness crabs are a common catch in the winters of California but due to climate change in the ocean, the algae that they feed on got toxic resulting in the crabs becoming toxic as well.
Coral
Coral reefs are some of the most beautiful things in the ocean. The flora and fauna that form vibrant communities under the water have been in peril because they have been turning all white.
When the water gets too warm, the polyps from the corals take out the algae and eventually starve to death. This turns all the beautiful colors of the coral fade out. This phenomenon is now known as coral bleaching and is a sign of the dangers of climate change, pollution and the impact we as humans have on the natural wonders of the world.
Ocean acidification
Since the industrial revolution, more than 30% of the carbon dioxide produced by man has been absorbed by the ocean resulting in acidification. That’s around 150 billion tons. This has eventually resulted in the harming of marine life.
Many fish and other marine species use calcium carbonate to make their skeletons and shells. But they can’t do that if the water is too acidic. Other than carbon dioxide, the ocean is also dumped with a lot of oil, garbage and tons of toxic waste.
This biohazard has resulted in damaging the ocean’s ecosystem drastically. Although these things might sound strange, now that you know the real reason behind it, you will understand how much your carbon imprint matters to the earth’s ecosystem.
It’s time to truly think about our lifestyle and its impact on the environment.
