Mains Marathon

Start your answer with how climate change is impacting the physical and biological properties of world’s oceans in different ways. Explain how climate change will impact ocean waters and marine ecosystems. Suggest some measures to mitigate and government interventions. Way forward integrating a futuristic approach.

Answer:

Today, the ocean has absorbed about 90 percent of the heat generated by rising emissions. As the excessive heat and energy warms the ocean, the change in temperature leads to unparalleled cascading effects of climate change, including ice-melting, sea-level rise, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification.

These changes ultimately cause a lasting impact on marine biodiversity including both physical and biological components.

Impacts on the Ocean and Marine Resources

1. Changes in Ocean Ecosystems

• Temperature influences species living in an area and causes acidification.
• Impacts on one species can ripple across an entire ecosystem. For example, plankton—tiny organisms at the bottoms of many marine food chains—are sensitive to water temperatures and oxygen concentrations. They can die off if the water gets too warm.
• Animals farther up the food chain, like whales, can suffer food shortages.

2. More Common and Severe Extreme Marine Events

• Rising water temperatures, acidification, and low oxygen levels can combine with natural ocean cycles to create extreme marine events.
• Marine heat waves, dead zones, and coral bleaching are just a few examples of these events, which are projected to become more common and severe.

3. Impacts on Marine Fisheries

• Commercial and recreational marine fisheries in some regions are at high risk from climate-driven changes in the size and distribution of fish populations.
• Some fish species have already altered their geographic range in response to climate change. For example, pollock and cod are moving north to colder water as local ocean temperatures rise.
• The movement of fish into new areas disrupts the ecosystems that they move into. It can also cause confusion about what fishing regulations apply.

Measures to Mitigate them.

• Adapt Fishery Management:
  • Fishing professionals and government officials can help people adapt to climate change by changing policies and practices to avoid overfishing.
• Diversify Fisheries:
  • Aquaculture, or seafood farming, helps build resilience against climate change.
• Lowering carbon emissions:
  • Steps to lower carbon emissions such as using renewable energy, reducing energy consumption, using public transportation, and reducing waste generation can help reduce ocean warming and acidification.
• Sustainability through better ocean use:
  • Marine spatial planning can help countries shift to low-carbon solutions by
  • unlocking marine sectors that contribute to climate change mitigation.
• Recreate responsibly:
  • Help protect coral reefs. When boating, be careful not to let anchors damage coral reefs or seagrass beds. Never touch coral reefs when diving or snorkelling. Also, avoid using sunscreens containing chemicals that can harm marine life.

Government interventions

• Combat Illegal Fishing:
  • Governments should implement measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, such as monitoring and surveillance of fishing activities, and imposing stricter penalties for violations.
• Increase International Cooperation:
  • Protecting world oceans requires international cooperation and coordination. Governments should work together to establish and enforce international agreements and regulations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

An integrated ocean planning approach helps countries design efficient and effective climate responses and achieve SDG 14, Life Below Water: to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.