Health of World's Oceans Declining Rapidly: Extinctions from Multiple Threats

The world's oceans may be declining more quickly than we thought. A review from the International Program of the State of the Ocean (IPSO) has warned that the oceans are facing multiple threats and that their health is rapidly deteriorating.

The world's oceans are all interconnected. Deep sea currents circulate the globe, bringing nutrients and heat to areas that would normally remain barren and cold. The very fact that they are connected, though, means that pollutants can travel for thousands of miles to areas that would normally remain unaffected.

"Risks to the ocean and the ecosystems it supports have been significantly underestimated," stated the IPSO, according to Reuters. "The scale and rate of the present day carbon perturbation, and the resulting ocean acidification, is unprecedented in Earth's known history."

Currently, the world's oceans are being impacted by climate change and pollutants. Dead zones are being created from fertilizer run-off and the water itself is becoming more acidic as excess CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere. Overfishing and pollution is also taking its toll, causing ecosystems to quickly deteriorate.

"We have been taking the ocean for granted," states the report, according to BBC News. "It has been shielding us from the worst effects of accelerating climate change by absorbing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. Whilst terrestrial temperature increases may be experiencing a pause, the ocean continues to warm regardless. For the most part, however, the public and policymakers are failing to recognize--or choosing to ignore--the severity of the situation."

In fact, research has shown that in the past, extinctions have been prevalent during similar conditions that exist today. Warming seas, acidification and low oxygen levels can all contribute to serious issues that cause species to decline. Add in the fact that many fisheries are depleting fish stocks and you have a recipe for disaster. In addition, previously unknown effects are also making an impact.

"On ocean acidification, we are seeing effects that no one predicted like the inability of fish to detect their environments properly," said Alex Rogers of Oxford University in an interview with BBC News. "It's clear that it will affect many species. We really do have to get a grip on what's going on in the oceans."

Currently, the IPSO is urging more focused fisheries management and a priority list for tackling chemicals that are causing the most harm to the oceans. Whether these policies will be enforced, though, remains to be seen.