Sayonara Aqualife😢😭🐬🐳

Sayonara aquatic animals! See you near the north or south pole but not near the equators.

Most of the marine species is found near the equator because of favourable conditions such as availability of food, optimum temperature required for survival and probably because chances of finding a patner is much higher.

But rise in ocean temperature is forcing aquatic life to flee away from the equator

According to a new study, global warming has caused temperatures to rise in water bodies. Consequently, it has led to tens of thousands of marine species to fleet the ocean away from the equator to places with cooler water temperature.

According to a study conducted by researchers of the University of Auckland, nearly 50,000 species of aquatic life including fish, mollusks, birds, and corals reefs have moved towards the pole since 1955.

WHY IS MARINE LIFE FLEEING AWAY FROM THE EQUATOR?

The equator water is known to be the home to the richest diversity of aquatic life on earth. On the contrary, the population decreases as one moves towards the poles. 

However, global warming and climate change is the biggest reason causing such migration.  According to the research, the tropical water along the equator has already become too hot for many species. This rise in water temperature is posing survival challenges to these animals, causing them to move away in large numbers. 

IMPACT ON MARINE LIFE

The change in temperature and climate is posing danger to the marine ecosystem. Coral reefs that are of utmost importance for aquatic life have been affected. In the last four decades, 85% of tropical reefs have deviated from their place. 

Planktons too, an important species for foodweb, has been dropping. During the summer season, lesser and lesser fishes are seen on the surface of the water near the reef. 

Moving towards the poles would also mean increased challenges and competition for survival and adaptation. It would also mean loss of habitat and food. The implications could also mean ecosystem collapse.

Marine fishes, seabirds and marine mammals all face very high risks from increasing temperatures, including high levels of mortalities, loss of breeding grounds and mass movements as species search for favourable environmental conditions. Coral reefs are also affected by increasing temperatures which cause coral bleaching and increase their risk of mortality.

WHAT/WHO IS TO BE BLAMED?

Like most of the problems on this planet , it is no surprise that humans are to be blamed.

Excessive human interference in nature has caused an imbalance in the ecology. Increased activities have led to global warming and climate changes, resulting in changes in biodiversity. 

Global warming is one of the major reasons for this expedition of marine life.

Also the ocean water near the coasts and equator is polluted due to oil spills.

Dumping of garbage, release of industrial pollutants, overfishing are also some of the major causes.

Overfishing for livelihood is one of the major reasons that has caused a dip in the population of fishes along the equator. 

 Has this happened before?

We shouldn’t be surprised global biodiversity has responded so rapidly to global warming. This has happened before, and with dramatic consequences.

252 million years ago…

At the end of the Permian geological period about 252 million years ago, global temperatures warmed by 10℃ over 30,000-60,000 years as a result of greenhouse gas emissions from volcano eruptions in Siberia.

A 2020 study of the fossils from that time shows the pronounced peak in biodiversity at the equator flattened and spread. During this mammoth rearranging of global biodiversity, 90% of all marine species were killed.

125,000 years ago…

Will humans get affected? 

A 2012 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that marine and freshwater capture fisheries and aquaculture provide 4.3 billion people with about 15% of their animal protein. Fisheries and aquaculture are also a source of income for millions of people

worldwide. Altering distributions of fish stocks will increase the economic losses  .

In addition to this, water pollution has become another cause of concern for humans and animals. 

Apart from all this ,there is the threat of flooding of coasts and loss of land and life  due to global warming. 

As for human beings, this migration of aquatic animals could lead to loss of livelihood as many depend on these animals for a living. Tourism may decline, exports and trade may get affected.   

Many tropical island nations depend on the revenue from tuna fishing fleets through the selling of licenses in their territorial waters. Highly mobile tuna species are likely to move rapidly toward the subtropics, potentially beyond sovereign waters of island nations.

Similarly, many reef species important for artisanal fishers — and highly mobile megafauna such as whale sharks, manta rays and sea turtles that support tourism — are also likely to move toward the subtropics.

The movement of commercial and artisanal fish and marine megafauna could compromise the ability of tropical nations to meet the Sustainable Development Goals concerning zero hunger and marine life.

STATE OF INDIAN WATER AND MARINE LIFE?

According to a study conducted by scientist Roxy Mathew Koll from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology,  Pune, the ocean surface warming in the Indian Ocean has increased by 1.2 degree celsius in the past century. 

India's ocean too are witnessing the same phenomenon, with fishes migrating from warm tropical waters to cool north waters. 

Similarly, the population of phytoplankton has also gone down by 20% in the last six decades. Due to rapid warming of the water, in the western Indian Ocean, there was a 30% decline in phytoplankton population in the last 16 years. 

According to the Marine Fish Landings Report 2019, the impact of climate change can be witnessed on the Indian water and the marine life based in it. 

Due to water pollution, climate change and loss of phytoplankton population, fish catch in the western coast has declined too. 

The increase in greenhouse gases has increased heat. 90% of this extra heat is absorbed by oceans and has pushed marine ecosystem towards danger. 

How will Indians get affected?

Fishing can be considered as a major source of people living near the coasts.

Nearly 40% of the coastal states depend on local fishermen for marine food.

So, fishing is one of the major occupations in the coastal states.

States such as West Bengal, Goa, Maharastra, Kerela, Odisha and Tamil Nadu are the marine food hotspots where marine food is part of the regular diet of the people. So, this will definitely affect these states and its people.

Any possible  steps that can be taken?

*Limiting greenhouse gas emissions

*There is an urgent need to achieve the mitigation targets set by the Paris Agreement on climate change and hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. This will help prevent the massive and irreversible impacts of growing temperatures on ocean ecosystems and their services.

*Protecting marine and coastal ecosystems

*Well-managed protected areas can help conserve and protect ecologically and biologically significant marine habitats. 

* Limiting human interference and activities such as over fishing.

*Governments can introduce policies to keep fisheries production within

sustainable limits.

* Government should conduct researches for new scientific methods to reduce pollution and  maintain the earth's temperature below harmful levels and promote  public awareness.

  

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE?

The future looks grim if no step is taken to slow down or at least reverse the impact of climate change. For marine life, the rise in temperature and climate change could lead to the mass extinction of several species. 252 million years ago, when this same thing happened, 90% of the marine species died.

Climate change is real, is happening now and disrupting everything that is coming in its path.

And if we blindly ignore this then no force in this universe can save us from our doom.

Bibliography:-

https://www.iucn.org/news/marine-and-polar/201912/marine-life-fisheries-increasingly-threatened-ocean-loses-oxygen-iucn-report

https://theconversation.com/marine-life-is-fleeing-the-equator-to-cooler-waters-history-tells-us-this-could-trigger-a-mass-extinction-event-158424

https://www.planet-today.com/2021/04/marine-life-heading-away-from-equator.html?m=1

Read the  interview taken by marine journalist Mr. Shale asking a sea horse riding away from the equator.

Mr.S:- 

Why is the marine life fleeing away from the equator?  

SH:- Because it is too hot near the equator.

Mr.S

Is life better near the poles?

SH:- No.

Mr.S

Then why are you moving towards the poles?

SH:- Because others are moving.

Mr.S 

What do you think will be the impact on other animals?

SH:-  I donot know about other animals but I can assure  you that soon you humans won't find a fish or crab served on the dinner table. 

Meanwhile Mr.Shale thinking,' Oh! That means no more fish meat in dinner.'

Mr.S

Will you guys ever return back?

SH:- 

Well, may be if you humans stop dumping garbage in the ocean and stop polluting the environment and if the temperature near the equator becomes suitable.

 I can assure you that if these things ever happen than you might see my grear great grand children coming back to the equator.

Confused Mr.S asked ,'' Your great great grand children?''

SH:-

Because i am sure that all this is going to take a few hundreds of years. 

So ,yeah I will send my greetings along with my great great grand children.

Saying this the Seahorse left towards the poles.