Habitat Loss
Habitat destruction is one of five global ecological pressures affecting the ocean, along with fishing pressure, climate change, water pollution and the introduction of alien species or genotypes.
Another global ecological pressures affecting the ocean that is not looked at would be ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seawater is slightly basic, and ocean acidification involves a shift towards pH-neutral conditions rather than a transition to acidic conditions.
Damage or destruction of habitats kills the plants and animals responsible for the habitat's ecological functions and, in some cases, its survival and regeneration. This pressure focuses on destruction of intertidal habitats and two types of subtidal habitats, soft bottom and hard bottom. These habitats include coral reefs, sea grasses and mangrove forests, but do not include sea ice, which is accounted for elsewhere.A few causes of habitat loss would be
- Runoff-Dead zones from eutrophication can be caused by agricultural and urban runoff or sewage.
- Impoundments [aka tidal barrage]-they can change the habitat by changing the cycles or balance of salt and fresh water inputs they can also restrict migrations in and out of the habitat.
- Bottom Trawling-Heavy nets dragged over the bottom can disturb, damage or destroy habitats.
This is a ecosystem that is dying due to pollution.
Difficulty breeding and feeding
With water pollution theres also troubles with breeding and feeding. Debris can be attached to a natural food source, such as fish egg's, which can cause trouble's. If fish eggs get covered in plastic it can cause the egg's to suffocate. That can lead to less of a food source for other animals, that can cut off a whole ecosystem and cause difficulties breeding more and more fish.
Some causes may be
- People leaving trash at the beach or in the ocean can cause animals to eat it.
This is a picture of a bird that digested a whole bunch of trash.
Extinction
Water pollution can cause extinction animals. Did you know that over 25,900 marine mammals may have been harmed or killed by oil spill, and we have 44 oil spills a year witch equals to 1,139,600 animals die or are harmed each year? At the rate we are going at now that can lead to a massive extinction.
A few causes of oil spills may include
- people making mistakes or being careless.
- equipment breaking down.
- natural disasters such as hurricanes.
- deliberate acts by terrorists, countries at war, vandals or illegal dumpers.
This is an animal that is going extinct due to water pollution.