It is claimed by the scholars that the ocean temperatures are affected by the climate change. In addition, there is a set of other effects of the climate change for the marine organisms - such as changes in the ocean chemistry, supply of nutrients, systems of wind and food chains. These factors make their impact on the abundance, distribution, breeding cycles as well as migrations of marine animals and plants. With the increase of the temperature, the animal and plants, which inhabit the ocean and seas, shift towards the poles. In such manner, the marine food webs are changed and there is an impact on the animals and plants (depending on the species which change their location). While such dynamic is slower in the oceans (in comparison to the seas), there is still a well-grounded argumentations that the set of the changes (such as acidification of the ocean) will irreversibly take their place within the timeframe of the next 100 years (WWF, 2014).
Generally, it is possible to state a fact that the set of the physical outcomes, made by the global warming, affect the marine biological processes as well as the scales of these effects range from the particular genes to the whole ecosystems. In such way, the security of human food is affected through the potential threats, made by the global warming to the marine ecosystems. It is claimed by the experts that there are the unprecedented rates of physical change in marine organisms. For instance, the biological change in some species of fishes are likely to be commensurately quick, while at the same time, there are significant variations in the resilience and resistance of ecosystems and organisms (Brierley et al, 2009)
Even while taking into account some unclear issues, regarding the benefits of the low body temperature for some species of fishes, the temperatures, which are cooler in fresh water for 3-6 °C in comparison to the normal saltwater habitat, are preferred by such fishes as mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). In addition, there is a direct interrelation between the rate of accumulation of the pesticide residues and heavy metals with the increase of the water temperatures (Committee on Geoengineering Climate, 2015).
Finally, it was indicated by Dijkstra et al (2013) that the increased temperatures (in the case of absence of other confounding factors) may lead to the greater bioaccumulation of mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). Thus, it is possible to expect the decrease in the mass and length of such species because of the lack of food in some areas of the seas and oceans and such factor as the natural selection.
In the scope of this question discussion, it is essential to note that it is claimed by the scholars that the notions global warming and the ocean warming are the synonyms. The major argumentation for such statement is the fact that more than 80% of the added heat is found in the ocean (Doney, 2007). In this question, the major attention would, be paid to the acidification of the ocean because of the climate change and its impact on the marine ecosystems and on Mummichogs’ length and mass.
It is essential to note that the acidification of the ocean alongside with the climate change have the potential of exacerbation of the other human influences on marine ecosystems and fisheries; for instance, destruction of the habitat, over-fishing, pollution, invasive species and excess nutrients (Committee on Geoengineering, 2015).
The shell-forming plants and animals (such as plankton, deep-water corals, lobsters and mollusks) are harmed by the acidification, while significant number of such organisms provides the critically essential food source or habitat for other organisms, which in turn, shape the food chain for humans. It is suggested by the merging evidence that the large-scale variations in the area of acidification as well as the climate changes have been already experienced by the marine life. At the same time, it is essential to note that both current and projected rates of global warming and thus, acidification of the marine water, are faster and more intensive to the previous changes (Lockfield, 2011).
Those changes, which occur in the biological productivity are only the integral part of the whole trend, as the particular marine species are attractive for the lion share of the human fisheries (while the set of others are not so critically important to the humans, and thus, do not attract significant attention of the scholars) (Deegan et al, 2007). The sizes of the populations as well as the ways of their distribution are more sensitive to the altered ocean circulation and the warming in comparison to the total productivity (Lockfield et al, 2009). The effects of the global warming may be traced in the physiological and ecological changes, which are altered by the organism. That is why they impact the food supplies as well as the predators.
It is essential to note that the interactions in the chain of food are usually rather complicated ones. Thus, it is possible to assume that some species would represent their abilities of surviving despite the climate changes, while other organisms would fail to do so.
In the case of the continued enrichment of the nutrient environment, it was indicated by the scholars that the Mummichogs’ population would increase. The negative effect in such case would be represented by the density-dependent effects’ magnitude. In such case, the size and length of the representatives of this species would decrease.
References
Brierley, A.S. and Kingsford, M.J. (2009) Impacts of Climate Change Review on Marine Organisms and Ecosystem. Current Biology 19, p 602–614,
Committee on Geoengineering Climate (2015) Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth. National Academies Press
Deegan, L.A., Bowen, J. L. Drake, D., Fleeger, J.W. (2007) Susceptibility of salt marshes to nutrient enrichment and predator removal. Ecological Applications, 17(5) Supplement, 2007, pp. 42–63
Dijkstra, J.A., Buckman, K. L., Ward, D. D., Evans,4 W., Dionne,1 M. and Chen. C.Y (2013) Experimental and Natural Warming Elevates Mercury Concentrations in Estuarine Fish. PLoS One. 2013; 8(3): e58401.
Doney, S. (2007) Effects of Climate Change and Ocean Acidification on Living Marine Resources. Retrieved from: https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=8916&tid=282&cid=27206
Lockfield, K. (2011) Population-level responses of The Mummichog, Fundulus Heteroclitus, to chronic nutrient enrichment in a New England salt marsh. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Lockfield, K.C., Fleeger, J.W. and Deegan, L.A.(2009) Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, Responses to Long-Term, Whole-Ecosystem Nutrient Enrichment. Retrieved from: https://darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org/bitstream/handle/1912/6345/Konner%20Mummichog%20revised%20ms.pdf?sequence=1
WWF (2014) Climate change impacts on the marine environment. Retrieved from: http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/oceans_and_marine/marine_threats/climate_change_impacts/
