There are so many things you can do to improve climate change, like walking or biking instead of driving, eating more organic and local foods, being energy efficient and much more! Please enjoy todays post, and then go out and use your knowledge to make the world better, even if it's only a small improvement.
Lastly, climate change is a very negative factor not only for humans but for fish as well. Climate change has four main impacts on fish. (www.edf.org) First, many species depend on temperatures as a cue for reproduction. If these temperatures change as drastically as they are predicted to, the breeding patterns of these species may be disrupted. For example, atlantic salmon and steelhead trout need sanctuary and protection and not extreme temperature changes in order to survive. Secondly, sudden warm temperatures are a source for coral bleaching. Coral may not be a fish, but it definitely affects sea life. As the coral whitens, shrinks, starves, and dies because of the warmth, the fish who were supported by these coral reefs are likely to migrate or die from the loss of their habitat. The third climate impact is ocean acidification. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1790, the ocean has absorbed 30%, around 150 billion tons, of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by people. Acidification is causing a significant drop in the oceans pH, and although for many years the water diluted the effect of our extreme overuse of carbon, the oceans are beginning to show the impact. The last factor of climate change is positive feedback loops. These loops are made when something created from global warming then makes the warming worse, hence making the impact more significant, and the cycle goes around again. Ice caps in the arctic are the best example of this. The white ice once reflected the heat reaching earth, and now that the heat is increasing, the ice is melting, making the earth even warmer, even faster. This loop can go on forever, getting even worse each time. Almost all climate change is a result of every single human on earth overusing carbon. I do it, you do it, everyone on this earth has in some way impacted marine life through climate change, and there are so many things that people like me can do to stop it.
I love reading articles relating to whales, fish and other undersea issues. In November, I started a blog to help me document my journey in marine science, as well as to share with others how we impact and can protect underwater ecosystems. In Baja, I met naturalists who are dedicated to learning more about environments and ecosystems of certain ocean life, and I also met some environmental lawyers who became role models for me, taking action for what they believed in, and saving and protecting endangered animals.
Last year, my class at school was lucky enough to be able to headstart two blandings turtles, and it was the first time I could take all that I had learned about marine biology and put it to good use. It was my turn to learn more about the ecosystems of turtles, and then take action to teach others and help to save an endangered species that I really cared about. I researched the turtles, and shared what I had learned with my class. I made a presentation about the turtles, including how big they are, how old they live to be, why they are endangered, and how we can help them. I cleaned their tank during my study halls, and spent many recesses feeding them. I grew very close to them, and setting them free at the end of year was a sad moment, but more importantly, a happy moment, because I knew that I had done my part to help the blandings turtle population - I had saved two turtles from the high possibility of an early death. This year we have two new turtles, and as my passion for marine biology grows, I really enjoy the moments I can spend learning more about this endangered species, as well as helping to protect and preserve them.
I have learned a lot about whales and turtles, but I look forward to being able to learn about other fish and how they are endangered and how to save them. Our earth is the only planet that houses life and in order to keep species from going extinct, we all have to care about the welfare of sea life. I hope to help these undersea creatures by learning about their plight and doing what I can do to save them. I want my actions to have a positive effect on the ecosystem humans and fish share, and I think that participating in the MBIT program will help me to achieve that.
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