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While the full implications of elevated CO 2 on marine ecosystems are still being documented, there is a substantial body of research showing that a combination of ocean acidification and elevated ocean temperature, driven mainly by CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, have a compounded effect on marine life and the ocean environment. This ...
Puerto Rico is home to over 5,000 square kilometers of shallow coral reef ecosystems. Puerto Rico's coral reefs and associated ecosystems have an average economic value of nearly $1.1 billion per year. [132] The U.S. Virgin Islands’ coral reefs and associated ecosystems have an average economic value of $187 million per year. [133]
Actual salinity varies among different marine ecosystems. [4] Marine ecosystems can be divided into many zones depending upon water depth and shoreline features. The oceanic zone is the vast open part of the ocean where animals such as whales, sharks, and tuna live. The benthic zone consists of substrates below water where many invertebrates live.
Fishing is the leading cause of marine wildlife destruction, according to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the top global science ...
Marine pollution made further international headlines after the 1967 crash of the oil tanker Torrey Canyon, and after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California. [citation needed] Marine pollution was a major area of discussion during the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm.
Human activities have a strong and detrimental influence on marine biodiversity. The main drivers of marine species extinction are habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, and overexploitation. [105] [106] Greater pressure is placed on marine ecosystems near coastal areas because of the human settlements in those areas. [107]
Marine conservation is informed by the study of marine plants and animal resources and ecosystem functions and is driven by response to the manifested negative effects seen in the environment such as species loss, habitat degradation and changes in ecosystem functions [1] and focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems ...
Marine ecosystems are of particular interest in this regard. [42] However, unregulated and inappropriate bioprospecting could potentially lead to overexploitation, ecosystem degradation and loss of biodiversity. [43] [44] [45]