Title: The Impact of Rising Sea Levels on Animal Life | Actforlibraries.org
Headings: The Impact of Rising Sea Levels on Animal Life
The Impact of Rising Sea Levels on Animal Life
Content: Corals live in a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae need the sunlight in order to produce the nutrients necessary for the coral. Sea level rise may cause a decrease in solar radiation at the sea surface level, affecting the ability of photosynthetic zooxanthellae to produce nutrients for the coral, whereas, a sudden exposure of the coral reef to the atmosphere due to a low tide event may induce coral bleaching. Sea level rise is predicted to significantly impact the coastal environment in the coming century. Rising sea levels will cause flooding in lowlands; increase the saline content of ground water; and increase erosion of land. It will also intensify storms which are related to warmer ocean water. This will affect animal species thriving in the coastal ecosystem, which will have to migrate. According to the IPCC, rising sea level will have a number of impacts in the coastal environment, including wetland and coastal flooding, erosion, salinization of soil and aquifers and the loss of fish, birds and a wide variety of other animal’s habitats.