Ocean Change: A Mix of Interacting Stressors

Ocean change is an ongoing process but in modern times, human influence on the environment is much greater than any natural influence, which is why we call this era the Anthropocene. Ocean change involves a range of environmental changes occurring simultaneously, including global changes such as ocean acidification and regional changes such as eutrophication and pollution. The future ocean will be warmer, fresher, and more acidic. It is virtually impossible to predict the combined effects of all of the anthropogenic influences on marine ecosystems, although science shows that change in one environmental factor influences an organism’s sensitivity to changes in other factors. Species don’t live in isolation, but live in a series of species interactions. A challenge that scientists face is that we are testing the sensitivities of today’s organisms to tomorrow’s environmental conditions. 

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