Today marks the annual celebration of 'World Wildlife Day'. This is a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's plants and animals. This year's theme is "Life below water: for people and planet". It aims to bring attention to the dangers that coastal and marine habitats are facing, particularly from pollution, overfishing and flooding.
Many marine species are under threat from human activities. Many people as well rely on coastal habitats as their means of making a living through fishing or tourism. The more we pollute and destroy our marine habitats, the more we are putting both wildlife and people's livelihoods at risk.
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats. Recent research has shown that the ocean is full of micro-plastics; these are tiny particles of plastic that can travel long distances in ocean currents and end up in the digestive systems of different animals. The other major threat is global warming, or more specifically for the oceans, rising sea temperatures. When water warms, it takes up more space (thermal expansion) meaning that coastal areas are likely to flood. Warm water also increases the rate of ice melt, meaning that the volume of water being added to the oceans is growing. Furthermore, delicate organisms like coral and phytoplankton are very sensitive to changes in temperature. As the oceans warm, these creatures will die, and this will have a catastrophic impact on the ocean's ecosystem.
What can you do?
We can all make small changes in our lives to reduce our energy use and recycle more. Think about your day to day life and what small changes you can make. Be conscious of how much electricity you are using when around the house. Try to choose food in the supermarket which has minimal plastic packaging. If we all make a little change, it can have a big difference.
Find out more at: https://www.wildlifeday.org/about
Many marine species are under threat from human activities. Many people as well rely on coastal habitats as their means of making a living through fishing or tourism. The more we pollute and destroy our marine habitats, the more we are putting both wildlife and people's livelihoods at risk.
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats. Recent research has shown that the ocean is full of micro-plastics; these are tiny particles of plastic that can travel long distances in ocean currents and end up in the digestive systems of different animals. The other major threat is global warming, or more specifically for the oceans, rising sea temperatures. When water warms, it takes up more space (thermal expansion) meaning that coastal areas are likely to flood. Warm water also increases the rate of ice melt, meaning that the volume of water being added to the oceans is growing. Furthermore, delicate organisms like coral and phytoplankton are very sensitive to changes in temperature. As the oceans warm, these creatures will die, and this will have a catastrophic impact on the ocean's ecosystem.
What can you do?
We can all make small changes in our lives to reduce our energy use and recycle more. Think about your day to day life and what small changes you can make. Be conscious of how much electricity you are using when around the house. Try to choose food in the supermarket which has minimal plastic packaging. If we all make a little change, it can have a big difference.
Find out more at: https://www.wildlifeday.org/about