Hippca Habitat Destruction

The six factors summarized by HIPPCO include habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation; invasive species; population growth and increasing use of resources; pollution; climate change; and overexploitation. All these factors summarized by HIPPCO may be applied to whales to describe how their populations have been affected and will be affected in the future. Quite simply, the whale populations have been decimated by human activity and environmental catastrophes that have ultimately adversely affected the whale. Habitat destruction and degradation has played a large role in the decreasing whale population. The destruction of the whale’s habitat can mainly be attributed to increases in human activity, fishing traffic, commuter vessels, …show more content…
If the plankton and krill that the whales depend on for food were to be decimated by an oil spill, the whale would either have to relocate in search of food or risk starving to death. Another factor that has influenced the decimation of the whale population is climate change. As mentioned earlier the impacts of rising ocean temperatures has caused whale populations to migrate to more favorable, colder water temperatures located further north. While this migration may lead the whales to a safer, more favorable climate it may also lead them to unfamiliar and potentially dangerous new habitats that are already stressed due to preexisting competition within the ecosystem. If climate change is not alleviated, and ocean temperatures continue to rise the whales will continue to migrate to more favorable habitats or face the risk of starvation, and death. Furthermore, overexploitation has been a consistent problem for whale populations since the whale has been hunted for a variety of …show more content…
For instance, the human race can make an effort to decrease our impact upon the whale’s habitat by decreasing shipping and commuter traffic, limiting fishing, and providing a sustainable undisturbed habitat for the whales to live in. In order to protect the whale population for the impacts of an invasive species we must be precautious and leery not to introduce a non-native species into the whales’ environment. If the human race can manage to avoid the introduction of an invasive species into the habitat of the whale then we may ultimately be able to protect not only the population of the whale but the population of the whales’ food source. Furthermore, the human race could decrease the amount of resource being exploited both from the whale and its habitat. If we could limit our impact upon the whales’ habitat and reduce the resources we are exploiting both from the whale and its marine ecosystem we can ultimately participate in creating a more sustainable marine habitat for the whale. Also, the human race can make an effort to reduce pollution and its impact upon marine life. If the human race were to significantly reduce pollution into the aquatic environment we could not only promote and provide a more natural and sustainable ecosystem for the whales but for all aquatic species that inhabit the ocean. Climate change will continue to be an augmenting issue that will