page_title: Effects of global warming
section_title: Ocean ecosystems
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of global warming / Biological systems / Ocean ecosystems
caption_attribution_description: A major coral bleaching event took place on this part of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. (Photo courtesy of Oregon State University)
context_page_description: The effects of global warming or climate damage include far-reaching and long-lasting changes to the natural environment, to ecosystems and human societies caused directly or indirectly by human emissions of greenhouse gases. It also includes the economic and social changes which stem from living in a warmer world. Human caused climate change is one of the threats to sustainability.
  Many physical impacts of global warming are already visible, including extreme weather events, glacier retreat, changes in the timing of seasonal events, sea level rise, and declines in Arctic sea ice extent. The future impact of global warming depends on the extent to which nations implement prevention efforts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ocean acidification is not a consequence of global warming, but instead has the same cause: increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
  Climate change has already impacted ecosystems and humans as well. In combination with climate variability, it makes food insecurity worse in many places and puts pressure on fresh water supply. This in combination with extreme weather events, leads to negative effects on human health.
context_section_description: Warm water coral reefs are very sensitive to global warming and ocean acidification. Coral reefs provide a habitat for thousands of species and ecosystem services such as coastal protection and food. The resilience of reefs can be improved by curbing local pollution and overfishing, but most warm water coral reefs will disappear even if warming is kept to 1.5 °C. Coral reefs are not the only framework organisms, organisms that build physical structures that form habitats for other sea creatures, affected by climate change: mangroves and seagrass are considered to be at moderate risk for lower levels of global warming according to a literature assessment in the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. Marine heatwaves have seen an increased frequency and have widespread impacts on life in the oceans, such as mass dying events.
caption: A part of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 2016 after a coral bleaching event.
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