Biology1010 Term Paper
Bryan Hayhurst
Ocean Biology
Conservation; The Earth’s natural resources must
be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually,
culturally, and economically. A warmer ocean, the ocean has
absorbed 80 percent of the heat added to the Earth’s climate due
to warming. Warmer waters are affecting the biological diversity
of the earth; this is causing coral bleaching, which in turn
negatively impacts the entire ocean and our ecosystem. Many of
the species of the ocean will be forced to migrate to cooler waters
so they can maintain the temperature conditions they need for
feeding and reproduction.
Alteration’s to water temperatures directly impact the
development of sea life and the survival of most fish and our
ocean’s ecosystem as we know it. Decreased upwelling; {
Upwelling Is a process in which deep cold water rises toward the
surface , winds blowing across the ocean surface push water
away. Water then rises up from beneath the surface to replace
the water that was pushed away.} due to warmer water means,
fewer important nutrients from lower in the water column will
make it to the surface. Many important marine ecosystems
completely depend on nutrients from these upwelling’s - example
the marine habitats around the Galapagos Islands and along the
coast of California.
People around the world rely on the ocean for food and
other natural resources. Upwelling areas provide some of the
richest fishing grounds in the world. Coral reefs also created by
upwelling provide habitat for fish and other protein food sources
for people. As the warming ocean waters increase in temperature
the impact on life within the ocean as well as humans will be
greatly change. The question is how much change can our
ecosystem endure.