Marine Wildlife And eir Fight For Survival

Renee A. Thomaier

Retired New Jersey State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator

With the tragic deaths of whales currently happening right before our eyes, this article focuses on the fight for the survival marine life faces every single day, in the waters that are their home.

As glaciers disappear and the melting of ice formations continue, this causes the rise of sea level to occur. Each year the water rises 0.13 inches – twice the average speed of eighty years prior to that. That flooding destroys habitats, causing some animals to either find a new home or die trying. Global warming leads to acidification.

CO2 - produced from fossil fuels burning, resulting in approximately thirty to forty percent into their waters, forming carbonic acid. The last 200 years shows the world’s oceans becoming more acidic. Marine wildlife suffers irreparable harm. Coral dies and food sources for humans and marine creatures is destroyed.

Agricultural runoff, oil spills - polluting waters with chemicals and oil lead to disastrous consequences affecting oxygen levels, reproductive systems, destruction of internal organs, birds’ feathers.

Plastic waste – polluting waters with consumer single-use plastics, i.e., bottles, bags. Plastics are often mistaken for food. Over one million sea creatures die every year due to plastic pollution.

Commercial shipping – Food, cleaning materials, packaging, oil further pollute the waters. If that’s not enough, massive ships strike whales and other marine life on a regular basis. Over ninety manatees die each year in Florida from ship collisions.

Overfishing, Commercial Hunting – Removing fish faster than can reproduce – according to the World Wildlife Fund, ‘over thirty percent of the world’s fishing grounds have been depleted.’

Tourism – Development of coastal environments, in particular the oceans, forcing native animals to adapt, relocate or die. Adding to that the waste from tourists, and the killing of sea creatures to be sold as souvenirs.

Acoustic pollution – Many sea creatures rely on sound to communicate, migrate and foraging for food. Whales, for instance, locate their males so mating can occur.

‘Humans aren’t the only species on Earth. We just act like it.’

The information for this article was provided by ‘About WorldAtlas’ launched in 1994 and are the Original Online Geography Resource. To reach me please call 732-2442768.

It’s illegal to possess, relocate, or cause harm to wildlife for any reason. Managing wildlife without the proper state/federal permits is illegal. Violating laws protecting wildlife, are punishable by law.