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Alexandria Ebel
Mr Padgett
ENGL 102
13 November 2016
The Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Ecosystems
Global warming is an issue that is supported by some and disputed by others. Whether or
not you believe in considering global warming as an issue of the present, it is without a doubt
something that is concerning. It is predicted that the Earths climate will increase approximately
2-6 Celsius by the end of the twenty-first century, which would make this the warmest period on
Earth in many centuries. This large-scale warming of the Earth is leading to very extreme and
rapid climate changes (Mitchell 2117). These climate changes are bringing a list of negative
effects and consequences. Of the many ecosystems that are being affected by the climate change,
the aquatic ecosystems are suffering the most damage. Aquatic ecosystems are extremely
important to the biology of the Earth, considering they cover 71% of the Earths surface. Recent
studies have shown how rising greenhouse gases are causing climate changes that are driving
these ecosystems to near extinction (Hoegh- Guldberg, 1523). Many people do not see how the
damage being done to the aquatic ecosystems affects humans; however, these ecosystems play a
major role in supporting our economy. I am arguing that global climate change is having many
negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and the organisms that live there. This is having a direct
effect on humans and there are many steps we can take to reduce and prevent the damage that is
being done.
Climate change due to global warming is affecting the aquatic ecosystems in many
different ways. These effects range from significant alterations in the aquatic biogeochemical

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processes to permanently affecting the aquatic food web structure (Wrona 359). The most
significant change that is contributing to both of those issues is the damage being done to coral
reefs. There are an estimated 30% of coral reefs that are already severely damaged and
approximately 60% of coral reefs may be damaged beyond repair by the year 2030 (Hughes,
929). Healthy coral reefs help support fisheries, jobs and businesses through tourism, as well as
recreation. Most of the federally managed fisheries directly depend on coral reefs for the life
cycles of the growing fish. The commercial value of fisheries from coral reefs, estimated by the
Marine Fisheries Service, is over $100 million. The coral reefs are also a popular spot for
tourism, which includes diving trips, hotels, recreational fishing trips and local restaurants. The
economies associated with these areas receive billions of dollars from the people that visit
(Kitch).
The major damage being done to coral reefs due to climate change is called coral
bleaching. Coral bleaching is directly related to elevated temperatures and coral stress. When
coral become stressed and overheated, they release a large amount of their pigment minerals and
become extremely pale or white. If the thermal stress is very severe and prolonged, the coral
will permanently bleach and then die (Hughes, 930). Another thing that adds stress to the coral is
ocean acidification due to the increasing climate. Ocean acidification is caused by increased
uptake of CO2 by the ocean waters. Due to global warming, there is a huge increase in the
amount of CO2 in the air. The ocean takes up approximately 25% of whatever the amount of
CO2 is in the air annually, therefore the ocean will take up more since there will be a larger
amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. The increased uptake of CO2 in the ocean waters lowers the
pH of the water. The low pH reduces the seawater aragonite saturation state, which leads to
lower calcification rates of the coral. Coral reefs have to be in an environment of a high pH in

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order to undergo calcification to survive and produce vital minerals for the organisms that live in
and around the coral. Calcification is what makes the coral strong, so without it they become
extremely weak, causing great stress on the corals. The bleaching is causing significant
increased coral mortality (McLeod, 20).
The increasing level of coral mortality is affecting the aquatic food webs tremendously.
Coral reefs are one of the most important aspects of the aquatic food webs. They are home to
millions of species, and also are essential to the survival of millions of others. A few of the
millions of species that rely heavily on coral reefs for survival are lobsters, clams, a variety of
fish, sea turtles and sponges (Nielsen). Imagine the coral mortality increasing so much that the
reefs become very rare, or even extinct. What are those millions of species that rely on the reefs
for survival supposed to do? All of those organisms that rely on the reefs for their survival will
slowly begin dying off. As that happens, it will begin affecting the rest of the aquatic food web.
Species depend on each other for food, minerals and survival and if the species that they rely on
do not exist any more, they will die off as well. Eventually we will have an extremely
diminished aquatic ecosystem.
The increasing coral mortality rate is one variable that is causing aquatic species
extinction, but another is species adaptation to the increasing ocean water temperature. The
climate change due to global warming is affecting the water temperatures of the oceans. There is
a large amount of species that can only survive in the colder temperatures. Animal metabolism is
also extremely temperature-dependent, as it requires a certain temperature, depending on the
animal, in order to function properly. As the water temperature increases, it will be much more
difficult for metabolism to work at its full potential. Cellular respiration is also very
temperature-dependent, and will not function properly if the temperature is too high. It can

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actually harm the cells if the temperature is too high. If these functions do not occur, it will
affect predator-prey interactions because the predators will not have the energy they need in
order to hunt and feed. species to survive. This could lead to the endangerment of these species,
and eventually the extinction. It will take a much greater period of time for the ocean water to
increase significantly enough to dramatically effect certain species than it will for the water to
uptake larger amounts of CO2. Therefore, coral bleaching is more detrimental to the aquatic
ecosystems than the increase in water temperature, but the increasing water temperature still is
contributing to the damage being done (Traill, 937).
The diminishing coral population and species extinction due to climate change are
destroying the aquatic ecosystems. However, our economy is going to be greatly affected as
well. Tourism is a huge part of our economy today. As the coral reefs and certain species die
off, so will the tourism that directly revolves around those things. There will be no more diving
trips to see the beautiful coral reefs or to see the amazing aquatic organisms that live in and
around them. There will also be no more shallow water experiences to interact with certain
species. The restaurants that include or are largely based around aquatic species will also be
affected. If the species are endangered or extinct, the restaurant will not be able to get them
anymore. Therefore, they will have to shut down. There is also an endless amount of jobs that
are based around certain aquatic species that will no longer exist. All of these issues will greatly
impact our economy, which in turn will affect us.
Luckily, there are multiple ways we can begin to slow or even stop the damage that
climate change is doing to these ecosystems. One way we can begin to save the aquatic
ecosystems is to maintain the natural hydrograph. If there is more water in a system, there will
be more habitat volume for the aquatic species. The greater water concentration will also make

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the water less susceptible to the extreme temperature increase. In order to maintain the natural
hydrograph, we need to make sure the water keeps flowing in the direction it is supposed to flow.
Dams and other structures like this impair the natural hydrograph because they do not allow the
constant flow of water. If we removed dams that are not absolute necessary, it would be a huge
benefit (Adams).
Greenhouse gases are a major contributor to climate change. So, another way we can
help is to implement rules or regulations in how much greenhouse gases we release. One city
has already begun to implement changes. Los Angeles has started to use renewable energy
sources as the primary source of their energy. These sources do not produce toxic gases, so there
is nothing being released into the atmosphere that is detrimental.

This chart represents the increase of the use of renewable energy sources in Los Angeles (DWPdata.gov). Since 2007, Los Angeles has increased their use of renewable energy sources by

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almost 20%. That is a huge step in helping to slow down the process of climate change. Another
city that has started helping is San Francisco.

This chart represents the percent decrease of greenhouse gas emissions in San Francisco (San
Francisco.. data.gov). They have implemented certain rules and regulations that have greatly
diminished the amount of toxic gases they are releasing into the environment. Decreasing the
amount of greenhouse gas being released and implementing the use of non-toxic renewable
energy sources are two major ways we can help to slow down the process of climate change.
Our planet is made up almost completely of water, making the aquatic ecosystems the
most abundant ecosystems on the planet. Aquatic ecosystems are very complex with many
different aspects contributing to their success and survival. Sadly, the climate change due to
global warming is destroying some of those aspects. This is causing damage to be done to the
aquatic ecosystems as a whole. The coral reefs are dying, which is killing off the species in the
bottom of the aquatic food web that rely on the reefs for survival. Without these bottom-tier
species, the species that are higher up are slowly dying off as well because they have no source
of food. When a large amount of all the aquatic species die off, what is supposed to happen with

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our tourism and and jobs and restaurants? They will slowly die off as well. This will have a
high negative impact on our economy, which will directly affect us. At first thought, you would
not think that the depletion of the aquatic ecosystems would affect us, but it will and it will be
harsh. It does not have to happen though! There are ways we can slow down the process of
climate change and save our aquatic ecosystems and our economy. However, there are not
enough people that are aware of the issue of climate change on aquatic ecosystems. There needs
to be more people informed. Global warming is a huge issue of debate, but the facts showing the
damage that is already being done on the aquatic ecosystems is not. They are real facts about
real damage that has already started. We can stop this by getting more people involved in this
issue. The more people that know, the more people that can help.

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Works Cited
Adams, S. B. 2011. Climate Change and Warmwater Aquatic Fauna. (November 2nd, 2011). U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Climate Change Resource Center. Web. 19
October 2016.
DWP - Renewables Percentage Annual. Data.gov, Publisher Data.lacity.org, 10 June 2016.
Web. 3 November 2016.
Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, and John F. Bruno. "The Impact of Climate Change on the World's
Marine Ecosystems." Science 328.5985 (2010): 1523-528. Web. 19 October 2016.
Hughes, T. P., A. H. Baird, D. R. Bellwood, M. Card, S. R. Connolly, C. Folke, R. Grosberg, O.
Hoegh-Guldberg, J. B. C. Jackson, J. Kleypas, J. M. Lough, P. Marshall, M. Nystrm, S.
R. Palumbi, J. M. Pandolfi, B. Rosen, and J. Roughgarden. "Climate Change, Human
Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs." Science 301.5635 (2003): 929-33. Web. 19
October 2016.
Kitch, Troy. How Do Coral Reefs Benefit the Economy? US Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, 12 Mar.
2014. Web. 13 November 2016.
Mcleod, Elizabeth, Kenneth RN Anthony, Andreas Andersson, Roger Beeden, Yimnang Golbuu,
Joanie Kleypas, Kristy Kroeker, Derek Manzello, Rod V Salm, Heidi Schuttenberg, and
Jennifer E Smith. "Preparing to Manage Coral Reefs for Ocean Acidification: Lessons
from Coral Bleaching." Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11.1 (2013): 20-27.
Web. 19 October 2016.

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Mitchell, John F. B., Jason Lowe, Richard A. Wood, and Michael Vellinga. "Extreme Events Due
to Human-Induced Climate Change." Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical,
Physical and Engineering Sciences 364.1845 (2006): 2117-133. Web. 19 October 2016.
Nielsen, Kate. What Species Live in and around Coral Reefs? US Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, 12 Mar.
2014.
San Francisco Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Data.gov, Publisher
Data.sfgov.org, 25 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 November 2016.
Traill, Lochran W. et al. Mechanisms Driving Change: Altered Species Interactions and
Ecosystem Function through Global Warming. Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 79, no.
5, 2010, pp. 937947.
Wrona, Frederick J., Terry D. Prowse, James D. Reist, John E. Hobbie, Lucie M. J. Lvesque,
and Warwick F. Vincent. "Climate Change Effects on Aquatic Biota, Ecosystem Structure
and Function." Ambio 35.7 (2006): 359-69. Web. 19 October 2016.