Human Effects on Marine Environment Flashcards
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What is overfishing?
Catching too many fish at a rate faster than they can reproduce, leading to population decline.
What are the effects of overfishing on the marine environment?
It disrupts marine food chains, reduces biodiversity, and can lead to the collapse of fish populations, affecting entire ecosystems.
What is pollution in marine environments
Contamination of oceans with substances like plastics, chemicals, and oil, which harm marine life and ecosystems.
How does plastic pollution affect marine life?
Marine animals can ingest or become entangled in plastic, leading to injury, suffocation, or death.
What is coral bleaching?
A process where corals lose their color due to stress, often caused by rising water temperatures, pollution, or acidification.
How does human activity contribute to coral bleaching?
Human activities like carbon emissions (which warm oceans) and pollution increase coral stress, making bleaching events more frequent and severe.
What is ocean acidification?
The decrease in pH of ocean water due to absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
How does ocean acidification impact marine life?
It weakens shells and skeletons of marine organisms like corals and shellfish, disrupting ecosystems and food chains.
What are invasive species in marine environments?
Non-native species introduced to new waters, often by human activities like shipping, that can disrupt local ecosystems.
How do invasive species affect marine ecosystems?
They compete with native species for resources, alter habitats, and can lead to the decline of native species.
What is coastal development?
Human construction along coastlines, including ports, resorts, and industrial sites.
How does coastal development impact marine environments?
It leads to habitat loss for species, increases pollution, and disrupts natural processes like water flow and sedimentation.
What is climate change and its impact on the ocean?
Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns due to human activities like fossil fuel burning.
What are oil spills and their impact on marine life?
Accidental releases of oil into oceans, which coat marine animals, pollute water, and destroy habitats.
How do oil spills affect marine ecosystems long-term?
They can lead to long-lasting damage to ecosystems, harming reproductive cycles, food chains, and coastal economies.
