Trophic Cascade

5 what is the relationship between an increase in total carbon concentration the smokestack and increased carbon in the ocean surface how might this change marine life populations? What impact could fifty years at this level of emissions have on marine fauna on marine flora? They both increased with each other and it could make the water uninhabitable for some marine life

There is no doubt that humans have always been intrigued with the majestic beauty of the large giants found in all of the world’s oceans. Whales and people have had a long history together, marked by many turns of events.

Furthermore, approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash per year enter the ocean. “The majority of

Ecological succession is the process where an ecosystem changes through time after some disturbance. Ecological succession is the major cause of ecological change. During this time, the community begins with few pioneering plants and animals and develops until it becomes stable. Also, it continues so that more and different kinds of organisms can be found in the location which leads to a diverse community (MacMillan 38)

“Since the beginning of the industrial era, the ocean has absorbed some 525 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, presently around 22 million tons per day” (Ocean Portal, n.d). This number is expected to increase forevermore as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increase and the effects of Climate Change worsen. At first, the idea of our oceans absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere may sound great, however, scientists have been quick to learn otherwise. High concentrations of carbon dioxide in oceans can have detrimental effects on the ocean chemistry and marine ecosystems (Hardt; Safina, 2008). Marine ecosystems are greatly complex and depend on every marine organism to function properly, any change can put the whole ecosystem at risk. For example, the increase of carbon dioxide in our oceans is responsible for the dissolving of “brittle star” skeletal parts, which has in effect caused food scarcity for many fish, crabs, shrimp, and other starfish (Leu, 2013). Furthermore, these marine ecosystems are very important to humans- being the primary food source for millions around the world and having an economic market worth trillions of dollars (Hardt; Safina, 2008). Part of keeping these ecosystems safe is to understand how they work and how projected changes can harm marine organisms.

Accordingly, environmental conservation groups estimated that the amount of CO2 emissions is around 130 million tonnes per year and this amount is accounted for about 25 percent of the total emissions of Australia. Furthermore, environmentalists suggested that emissions from burning of coal and coal mine processing are substantially contributing to the increase of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere that results in the global warming. Importantly, the effects of climate change will have a great significance of impacts on the Great Barrier Reef.

|How might this change marine life populations? What impact could fifty years at this level of emissions have on marine fauna? On marine |

What species did you select for the apex predator? Explain the importance of the apex predator's impact on the other species in your tropic pyramid. How did the amount of energy gained compare to the amount of energy lost as heat at the 2nd-4th trophic level?

The ocean is a vast biome that is constantly changing. There is much to learn about the life within, the article “Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai) off northwest Madagascar: ecology, Behavior and conservation needs” showed how our knowledge of the ocean and the life within continues to grow. Balaenoptera omurai, or Omura's whale was only found as a new species in the year 2003. Their are no dependable population size estimates or evaluation of conservation facts because there is not enough data collected on these cetaceans. Scientists are able apply what they learn from some of these organism to humans. In the article “Reproductive Conflict and the Evolution of Menopause in Killer Whales” scientists were able to draw comparisons between Humans and other species.

Francisco P. Chavez used many trials to discover if the CO2 levels in the ocean are really getting higher. He went to Peru to run trials on the CO2 levels in the ocean there. He researched that when people drive their cars it releases CO2 into the air, and most of that does not stay in the atmosphere. Most of the CO2 actually goes into the ocean. Dr. Chavez said that about one million tons of CO2 will enter the ocean per hour daily. He learned that when the CO2 enters the ocean it combines with all of the sea water and the combination creates carbonic acid. Many of the living organisms in the ocean can and are deeply affected by the carbonic acid in a dramatic way. Francisco P.

Whales have a distressing increase in assimilating cancer, along with getting other illnesses like nervous and digestive system problems, liver disease, contaminant-induced immunosuppression, endocrine system damage, reproductive malformations, and growth and development issues, all because of ocean pollution (Bluevoice.org). According to “The Effects of Ocean Pollution on Marine Mammals”, by Bob Bohle, it states, “...from overfishing to greenhouse gases and global warming to the introduction of toxins into the environment – has affected every square mile of ocean on the planet and strongly impacted roughly 40 percent of marine ecosystems.” This shows far ocean pollution has come. As stated before, humans are now catching the effects of ocean pollution. Toxins from plastic and mercury that end up in fish, are entering the human food chain, which are now being linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood development issues (Gianna Andrews,

killer whales live in an amazing world of colour and sound, They feed, interconnect and discover their way around their own watery world using sound. In the in1970's, various pollutants were excluded world wide because of the undesirable effects they posed both to humans and wildlife. Yet, numerous pollutants can still be visualized in the form of repressions and in various

The next innocent animal forced to cope with global warming is the whale. With the ocean waters warming more and more, the patches of zooplankton that female whales need to “bulk up” for a full pregnancy and being able to produce milk for her young. When the amount of zooplankton is too low, the right whale,

It has been observed through various researches that in the last century, average temperatures across the globe increased by over 1.3°F with an increase of more than two times in the Arctic. (Bates, Kundzewicz, Wu, & Palutikof, June 2008). The results of climate change can also be seen in changing precipitation patterns, increases in ocean temperatures, changes in the sea level, and acidity and melting of glaciers and sea ice (USEPA, 2014).

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that we exhale in our daily lives. Plants use carbon dioxide to create oxygen that all mammals use. However, carbon dioxide can also change the chemistry of the ocean, this is often referred to as ocean acidification. The excess carbon dissolves into oxygen in the water, producing a chemical called carbonic acid. This acid causes the ocean to become more acidic. In the eighteenth century, the pH was 8.07 which was slightly basic. Currently, the pH is around 8.01 this is about a twenty-five percent increase in acidity. (National geographic) While this slight change may not seem outrageous, it is causing multiple marine life struggles. The acid melts the shells of pteropods causing a low supply of food that would support larger fish.