As a result of global warming, there is not a corner of the worlds’ oceans left unaffected by anthropogenic disturbances. The heating of Earth’s surface occurs through a life supporting process known as the greenhouse effect. This is a natural process where heat from solar radiation passing through the atmosphere is absorbed by gases and radiated back to the surface (Bradford A 2014). However, human activities, such as deforestation, industrial processes, and fossil fuel combustion are polluting the atmosphere with excess greenhouse gases (GHGs); the major ones being carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (NO2), methane (NH4), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The additional concentrations of these gases intensify the greenhouse effect, causing
…show more content…
There are several factors that influence differential vulnerabilities to global warming events among species or even individuals. A major factor of vulnerability is mobility. Those species who have restrictive geographic ranges and low mobility are extra vulnerable due to various limitations affecting their ability to reallocate in accordance to changing environmental conditions. Habitat specialists are limited by their inability to tolerate conditions outside of their fundamental niche. The composition of the already established community could also prevent incoming organisms from settling through species interactions, such as competitive exclusion or heavy predation. Those that manage to successfully migrate into new habitats are changing species compositions and bringing together species that have not previously interacted. These new interactions and mass migrations increase the risk of introducing invasive species, parasites, and diseases into previously healthy habitats. The genetic variation of a species is another important factor. Those most vulnerable have limited genetic exchange and thus, limited variation. Certain dispersal barriers prevent a species’ potential for gene flow and successful breeding. The species with the least intraspecific genetic variability will likely lack the evolutionary potential to …show more content…
It is at this point undeniable that changing environmental conditions are having serious implications on the ecosystem and its life processes. Although the marine environment is a separate system, its deteriorating conditions are not an issue apart from our own. Humans depend on marine ecosystem functions and services that are being heavily depleted due to the synergistic effects of global warming with all other anthropogenic disturbances. The ocean provides the greatest total primary productivity; however, global warming is impairing the efficiency of this service. The combination of habitat deterioration, transitions from complex to simple ecosystems, nutrient limitations, and increased stratification in lower latitudes altering global productivity patterns are leading to significant declines in the total primary productivity of the ocean (Rogers AD, Laffoley D 2013). Even though fisheries are becoming of increasingly high demand, catch rates are expected to be greatly impacted with the fluctuations and shifts of global warming. These changes are compromising fish recruitment, displacing commercially important species to colder and deeper waters, and collapsing phytoplankton populations, which creates bottom-up effects that are reducing fisheries abundance (Brierely AS, Kingsford MJ 2009). Many organisms are already living just within their thermal limits, with the expectation of thresholds to be
There are several factors that influence differential vulnerabilities to global warming events among species or even individuals. A major factor of vulnerability is mobility. Those species who have restrictive geographic ranges and low mobility are extra vulnerable due to various limitations affecting their ability to reallocate in accordance to changing environmental conditions. Habitat specialists are limited by their inability to tolerate conditions outside of their fundamental niche. The composition of the already established community could also prevent incoming organisms from settling through species interactions, such as competitive exclusion or heavy predation. Those that manage to successfully migrate into new habitats are changing species compositions and bringing together species that have not previously interacted. These new interactions and mass migrations increase the risk of introducing invasive species, parasites, and diseases into previously healthy habitats. The genetic variation of a species is another important factor. Those most vulnerable have limited genetic exchange and thus, limited variation. Certain dispersal barriers prevent a species’ potential for gene flow and successful breeding. The species with the least intraspecific genetic variability will likely lack the evolutionary potential to …show more content…
It is at this point undeniable that changing environmental conditions are having serious implications on the ecosystem and its life processes. Although the marine environment is a separate system, its deteriorating conditions are not an issue apart from our own. Humans depend on marine ecosystem functions and services that are being heavily depleted due to the synergistic effects of global warming with all other anthropogenic disturbances. The ocean provides the greatest total primary productivity; however, global warming is impairing the efficiency of this service. The combination of habitat deterioration, transitions from complex to simple ecosystems, nutrient limitations, and increased stratification in lower latitudes altering global productivity patterns are leading to significant declines in the total primary productivity of the ocean (Rogers AD, Laffoley D 2013). Even though fisheries are becoming of increasingly high demand, catch rates are expected to be greatly impacted with the fluctuations and shifts of global warming. These changes are compromising fish recruitment, displacing commercially important species to colder and deeper waters, and collapsing phytoplankton populations, which creates bottom-up effects that are reducing fisheries abundance (Brierely AS, Kingsford MJ 2009). Many organisms are already living just within their thermal limits, with the expectation of thresholds to be