How hot is it? The answer is no laughing matter because hundreds of sick and dying sea lions and dolphins have been seen on beaches, the result of toxic algal blooms associated with warmer ocean waters and linked to high levels of domoic acid. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin that can make humans and marine mammals sick. The biggest takeaway is that as ocean temperatures changed, there is the potential for more frequent and more extreme harmful implications.

Coral reefs cover an extremely small amount of the Earth’s surface, but support 25 percent of all marine life. People worldwide rely on coral reefs for food resources, protection from the damaging properties of waves, and economic benefits including recreation and tourism. Coral reefs are negatively impacted by changes in water chemistry (e.g., ocean acidification) and increases in water temperature and sediment levels. Because heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent across the globe and ocean temperatures are rising, it is important to understand how reefs are impacted and promote their survival. This article discusses what is being done.

Seagrass meadows are critical marine habitat because they are the foundation of a highly productive marine food web. Their degradation results in increased coastal erosion, wave action, and ocean acidification as well as declines in commercially important fish and shellfish species, water quality, and carbon storage contributing to further effects of global warming. Seagrass meadows are being lost at a rate of around 7% annually, equivalent to two football fields every hour.

February 27 is International Polar Bear Day. My latest story in the news section of WomenMindtheWater.com discusses polar bears, the only bear considered a marine mammal. IPB Day corresponds to the time when polar bears are hidden in their dens with their new cubs. Learn more about this Arctic bear and link to video about polar bear denning research.

What is Blue Carbon? Blue carbon is directly related to marine ecosystems and their ability to sequester carbon dioxide. These ecosystems are pivotal in the fight against climate change. Ecosystems like mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrass beds also have an important role in protecting coastlines from storm surge, erosion, flooding, as well as providing vital habitat for marine life. Conversely, when blue carbon ecosystems are negatively influenced, directly or indirectly, by human activities, it undermines their ability to sequester and store carbon resulting in the release of harmful greenhouse gases.

Whales play a vital role in the well-being of the planet. They contribute to the production of oxygen we breathe, sequestration of carbon that otherwise would increase the rate of global warming, awareness of the state of the ocean’s health, and the economy of many coastal communities worldwide.