A fitting theme for this years World Ocean Day Healthy oceans, healthy planet.
It is a period that our oceans which are considered to be the heart of our planet are facing serious threat. They are facing all sorts of threats in the form oil spilling, plastic pollutions and so on. These have a massive impact on not only the oceans but also the marine biodiversity which entirely depends on ocean for livelihood.
Roughly one-quarter of coral reefs worldwide are already considered damaged beyond repair, with another two-thirds under serious threat. Pollution in the form of urban & industrial waste, global climatic changes are seen as the major reasons. Global warming has already led to increased levels of coral bleaching, and this is predicted to increase in frequency and severity in the decades to come. Such bleaching events may be the final nail in the coffin for already stressed coral reefs and reef ecosystems.
Ocean Water (Salt water) has a higher heat capacity than air absorbs the increasing heat of earths surface. The carbon-di-oxide generated by human consumption of fossil fuels is also being absorbed by the oceans making them acidic (lowering the pH) thereby making it harder for coral, oysters & mussels to form the shells & structures that sustain them.
The increase in temperature of the oceans has led to Higher LandTemperatures, More droughts (Observed in our own India especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka and so on because of inadequate rains), wilder weather, changing rain & snow patterns (Erratic rains leading to floods in Chennai in the month of December 2015) and more unpredictable weather scenarios.
Its high time, we people realize that its time to stop giving excuses and start thinking about our environment, because if we dont, it will stop thinking about us which will lead to human life extinction !!!!!!!!!!
