Marine Biology: Describe human impacts on marine ecosystems - Essay Example

On the other hand, marine ecosystems play a significant role in human life. The ecosystems help human in both ecological and economic aspect. The importance is seen as the system provides man with various goods and services as well as supporting the processes that sustain the entire biosphere. However, challenges have occurred in the systems most of which are because of human activities. Human activities have in the past and currently put the marine ecosystems under intense pressure in various regions of the world.

About forty percent of the ocean has been shown to have been affected by human activities (Revkin 1). Consequently, there has been a disruption of various services that are provided by the ecosystem as well as live that exist in the system. Moreover, the environmental changes currently taking place are likely to affect the diversity that exist in the marine environment (European Environment Agency 6). A reflection on human activities will help in highlighting how man has affected and continued to affect the marine ecosystems.

Human activities have affected marine ecosystems in a negative way. Population growth and social/technological developments have put pressure on marine ecosystems due to the buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2). The build up of CO2 in the oceans has led to changes in the earth climate as well as chemistry of the oceans (Fauville, Saljo and Dupont 1863). The significant consequences of changes taking place are ocean acidification (OA). It is estimated that there will be severe consequences if the atmospheric partial pressure of CO2 continues to rise at the current rate.

For example, with continued human activities such as burning of fossil fuels, cement manufacturing, and heavy land usage global oceanic pH is expected to decline in a significant way. It is expected that the lack of mitigation on changes currently taking place