Callie Griffeth - 2021

Artist's Statement

My final project is a three-page essay on the effects of sea level rise and ocean acidity. It was towards the beginning of the class when we discussed the effects climate change, and specifically the effect that carbon has on the oceans. Before this, I had no idea what climate change was doing to our oceans, to me our oceans seemed untouchable. But I was wrong, and greatly disturbed with what is currently happening, and what could happen within my own lifetime. So, I wrote this paper with a call-to-action tone, hoping to inform and educate those who read it. I also used three sources that I had found and made sure they were reliable and even peer reviewed. With these sources I hoped to strengthen my argument that we as humans around the world need to own up to our mistakes and educate ourselves about the effects, we have had on something so crucial to our planet

The Effect of Climate Change on Our Oceans

Our oceans. It may sound like a no brainer when stated that our world will not survive without healthy oceans. “Of course.” you may say, oceans are everything, they provide life, food, and water. Oceans help control temperature, they produce oxygen, energy, it plays a vital role in the carbon cycle, and is the home of thousands of plants and animals. But what if I told you that our oceans, something we as humans depend on to survive, is at risk? What if I told you that the previously mentioned carbon cycle is no longer “working” because we are producing too much carbon, the oceans are “digesting” if you will, too much carbon. The truth is, our oceans are at risk, we, the human race are at risk, because of our actions. This essay will discuss the effect that climate change has had on oceans, specifically it will discuss the danger of sea level rise and ocean acidity.

Sea level rise may seem to explain itself, that the sea is rising. But it is also so much more than that. In an article titled ‘the psychology of Miami’s struggle to adapt to sea-level rise” by Galen A. Treuer, he discusses the destruction that could happen because of sea level rise in Miami. He states “If nothing is done, however, $400 billion in Florida homes could be displaced by 2100 (155). Yes 400 billion dollars homes displaced, and that is not even counting the damage in streets, pipelines, and other crucial aspects of a community that would be submerged under water. Now, we know this is not going to happen in one night, sea level is rising a little less than 4 mm per year, but because of this constant threat, people will be moving away from the beaches. House prices will drop, and places like Miami could become inhabitable and states inland will be forced to house thousands of people who have no where else to go.

However, Miami is not the only place that is feeling the threat of sea level rise, all towns, cities, states, and even countries bordering the oceans at all are starting to understand the damage that this threat poses. However, “Individuals’ behavioral and psychological biases often get in the way of climate action (Treuer 156). Some people simply refuse to see that the effects of climate change are real, which makes taking precautionary actions much harder. However, “As American geographer Gilbert F. White famously said, ‘Floods are an act of God, but flood losses are largely an act of man’” (Treuer 155). We as human societies cannot ignore the problem any longer, we are currently causing a massive state of panic around the world, it is time for a change. However, this article states that there is some hope, as people are becoming educated about this problem, they are choosing to learn more about it, and are making decisions that will help alleviate this threat.

Sea level rise is just one of many problems that is happening in our oceans due to climate change, another is ocean acidity. The ocean is what’s called a carbon sink, carbon dissolves in water, and “Over the past 250 years, oceans have absorbed about 28 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by human activities that burn fossil fuels” (EPA). When carbon is dissolved into water the PH levels become more acidic, causing large problems within the depths of the ocean. For example, as the water become more acidic coral reefs cannot adjust to the new PH levels, making it exceedingly difficult for them to survive in their own habitat. This inability for coral reefs to adjust to the acidity in the ocean, turns into what is called “Coral bleaching”. 

Though coral bleaching does not necessarily mean that the corals have died, it does mean however, that they are not getting enough nutrients in order to thrive. If this process continues though, coral reefs can and will die. Thus, furthering our state of panic because as the NOAA states,

“Over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income, and protection. Fishing, diving, and snorkeling on and near reefs add hundreds of millions of dollars to local businesses. The net economic value of the world’s coral reefs is estimated to be nearly tens of billions of U.S. dollars per year. These ecosystems are culturally important to indigenous people around the world.”

So not only are these reefs depended upon for the survival of fish and marine life, but they are also depended upon for jobs, food, and culture. If the reefs were to suddenly disappear, not only would that be disastrous for fish dependent upon corals for their habitat. But it would also be a loss of culture for communities that flourish above the surface of the water, because of the role coral reefs have in their lives.

These issues and many more should no longer be ignored. We as a people have damaged our oceans and are continually damaging the entirety of the earth itself. We must become educated to what the consequences are of our actions. What are we personally doing, that takes part in damaging the earth? There are threats that are happening throughout this earth, the oceans changing is just one of many. However, though the task may seem daunting and unreachable, that we are already past the point of no return. There is hope, little by little, as we chose to make choices that help the climate rather than degrade it, others will follow our example. It takes one person, one choice, one idea, to change the world. It is time to act. The facts are present, but the choice is yours. What will you do to save our oceans, to save our planet? 

Works Cited

“Climate Change Indicators: Ocean Acidity.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Jan. 2021

“Coral Reef Ecosystems.” Coral Reef Ecosystems | National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

Treuer, Galen A. “The Psychology of Miami’s Struggle to Adapt to Sea-Level Rise.” Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists, vol. 74, no.3, 2018, pp. 115-159.