Miles below the ocean surface, in the darkest depths of the sea, life is changing in a way that scientists are just beginning to understand. The ocean floor, a beautiful yet mysterious part of the earth that is home to millions of different animal species, has always been seen as untouchable by human change. New discoveries are showing otherwise. The ocean floor and its ecosystems are being put at risk by rising temperatures, acidification, and the deoxygenation of the waters.
The ocean floor or seabed covers seventy percent of the Earth’s surface and is the largest ecosystem in the entire world. Expansive coral gardens and hundreds of species live on the floor and have adapted to living in its unusual conditions, surviving even under pressures of eight tons per square inch (the pressure at the deepest part of the ocean known as the Mariana Trench). The actual landscape of the sea floor is very much similar to that of the land that we live on today. There are mountains, valleys, and plains that are all shaped by the movement of tectonic plates below the surface. The seabed is covered in layers and layers of sediment made up of various types of bedrock and organic matter such as shells. The ocean floor plays a critical role in nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and supporting marine biodiversity.
As you’ve probably heard before, humans and their inventions have caused an increase in the average temperature of the ocean. Down in the depths of the ocean, the temperatures don’t vary as much as they do above the surface, ranging from thirty-two to thirty-seven degrees Fahrenheit. The animals have adapted to living in these cold temperatures so when they warm, the animals are forced to move to other places, disrupting the food web. The unique coral that has lived on the seafloor for thousands of years cannot survive in temperatures that they aren’t used to. Overall, the warming temperature of the seafloor destroys the unique ecosystems and disrupts the food web.
The atmosphere contains a large amount of carbon dioxide, and the ocean absorbs about a quarter of human-made carbon emissions. When carbon dioxide enters the ocean, it interacts with the water to form carbonic acid, which is relatively weak and unstable. A portion of the carbonic acid separates, releasing hydrogen ions and decreasing the pH of the water, making it much more difficult for plants like coral to create their hard calcium shells. This is called ocean acidification. When the water is warm, this also leads to the deoxygenation of the water, meaning the water’s ability to hold oxygen decreases. This results in “dead zones”—places with decreased oxygen, where plants and animals can’t live.
Scientists are still studying the long-term effects of climate change on the ocean floor, but it is widely believed that the consequences are quite significant. The increasing temperatures, acidification, and the decreased oxygen levels at the seafloor are disrupting marine ecosystems and coastal communities that rely on them. It is clear the seafloor and the animals that live there are increasingly threatened by human activity, making it vital that we take immediate action to protect this unique ecosystem for the future of our planet.
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