Why do we care?Global climate change is expected to increase the frequency of severe storms on the coast. Rising sea levels with magnify the effects of these storms on low-lying coastlines and barrier islands. It will become more difficult for the ecosystems to repair storm damage as the storms come closer and closer together. In addition to the biological communities that are suffering, the human communities that populate these areas will see problems as well. It will become more difficult to repair infrastructure such as homes, roads, and businesses located on the coast.
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Life on land will not be the only thing impacted. Communities that depend on tourism to support their economy will be affected by changes in the ocean. In order for the ocean to support life it must circulate around the planet. This circulation mixes fresh and salt, surface and deep waters while bringing up nutrients from the deep to the surface waters where photosynthesis takes place. As the surface waters warm, they become more stable which disrupts the circulation patterns. The warm water will become stagnant and there will be fewer nutrients to support photosynthesis. Algal blooms may occur which deplete oxygen levels as they die. The algal blooms may also introduce toxins that can impact swimmers and beach goers along with the sea life.
Toxic blooms are not the only threat that coastal fisheries will face. Many shellfish, such as the blue crab which is North Carolina's top fishery, depend on delicate balance of chemicals. As we release carbon dioxide gas, it builds up in the atmosphere. The ocean and atmosphere touch over 70% of the planet so the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide like a sponge. As carbon dioxide enters the ocean it binds with calcium carbonate, which many shellfish use to build their shells, and turn it into carbonic acid. The carbonic acid can make shell building much more difficult for many animals. This could have serious impacts on many ocean fisheries as well as the other ocean animals that rely on those organisms for food. The ocean and atmosphere are well balanced cycles and as we disrupt them we will see many impacts in our daily lives. Luckily there is still time to make positive changes. See our Actions Section for more information.
Toxic blooms are not the only threat that coastal fisheries will face. Many shellfish, such as the blue crab which is North Carolina's top fishery, depend on delicate balance of chemicals. As we release carbon dioxide gas, it builds up in the atmosphere. The ocean and atmosphere touch over 70% of the planet so the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide like a sponge. As carbon dioxide enters the ocean it binds with calcium carbonate, which many shellfish use to build their shells, and turn it into carbonic acid. The carbonic acid can make shell building much more difficult for many animals. This could have serious impacts on many ocean fisheries as well as the other ocean animals that rely on those organisms for food. The ocean and atmosphere are well balanced cycles and as we disrupt them we will see many impacts in our daily lives. Luckily there is still time to make positive changes. See our Actions Section for more information.