Global warming is hurting the Earth more and more. On the past decade, the total global temperature has increased dramatically, causing more problems to human health and the ecosystems. This condition is clearly worse in the developing countries where people still massively using their own provate vehicles. For example, a country located in the South East Asia, Indonesia. People in Indonesia have been known as massive consumers of transportations. Most of them will use their own motorcycles in their daily activities like going to school, workplace, or even looking for groceries at the nearest market. With the total number of vehicles reaching the half number of Indonesia’s populations (137,7 millions in 2018 and keeps increasing), gass emission is nowhere near normal level.
With this condition, the effect of global warming can be felt directly, especially in the big cities. A high increase in temperature is clearly noticable. Global warming cause climate change which gives pretty bad effect to basically everone. Not only hurting the humans above, but also the life of marine creatures. And these are the 6 effects of climate change on marine ecosystmes in Indonesia.
1. Corals Lost Their Colors
First of all, if the ocean keeps warming up, this can lead to what we call as the coral bleaching. You can see it in how climate change affect the color of sea water. The sea will eventually lost its beautiful color do to this condition. The warm condition make the corals eject their own algae in order to “adapt”. Symbiosys that gives benefits to these two is gone, leaving the corals alone with their own self-defence for more harming ocean. All those beautiful and bright-colored corals will left as white as dead. The corals also left with less protection against natural disasters that occur more frequently due to the ocean warming.
Algae that left the corals are also start to be overgrowth and start causing the change in sea color. This is also included as one of the effects of sea surface warming on marine plankton.
2. Spreading Infections
You know, the warmer condition may also cause health problems to humans prior to the seafoods they eat. Most fishes, especially shell fishes are the ones who suffer a lot from the ocean warming. In Indonesia, there are so many edible tropical fishes, such as the ones mentioned in these types of ocean fish to eat). Many of them can be found basically everywhere from the Eastern side to the West side of the country. However, the ocean warm in the Indonesian seas may cause the loss populations of fish. This may also lead to infections, making the fishes really dangerous if consumed.
People who depend heavily on seafoods may suffer as well, especially the ones who live around Lombok, and other islands on the East side of Indonesia. Most of them work as fishermen, mostly eat the gifts from the sea, which are the seafoods. If the fishes happened to be infectious, people could possibly lose their work, and they don’t have any choice by having foods that are healthier from other areas.
3. Infectious Seafoods
Seafoods are one of many Indonesian main dishes. People on the marine areas tend to have fishes as their meals everyday. There are many reasons behind this, including the cheaper price, and easy to get. But, once the fishes are contaminated with virus and bacteria due to the worsened condition of the ocean, they can be dangerous things to consume. That’s why, global warming in ocean is really bad for everyone.
4. Change in the Sea Color
The change in sea color is also the result of climate change in marine ecosystem. In Indonesia, you can also see the sign as well, by noticing at the change in color of the seas, like in Java, Sulawesi, Timor, and even Seram sea. This phenomenon is caused by Phytoplankton. There are actually many functions of the phyto, especially for the living ecosystem. Climate change makes them growth excessively, causing the sea changes in color. Some of them are greener and bluer than before.
5. More Frequent Huricanes and Storms
Climate change is also responsible for unpredictable weather in the country. Leaving the season way less predictable and completely random. For example, rains come heavily and more frequent during dry season, while in rainy season, drought is the main issue. Aside from the weather, climate change may occure more frequent storms and huricanes, which bad for the people who live around the shore or sea ecosystem in general.