Climate Change Will Have Lasting Effects on the California Current

As one of the richest currents in the world, the California Current flows silently along our stunning West Coast. While giving California a mild climate, the productive current enables billions of creatures to dwell there, ranging from territorial sea otters to migrating whales. However, with continuous global warming and climate change, the incredible marine ecosystem is now becoming endangered.

Enormous disruption is predicted for the the California Current marine ecosystem, considered one of the most rich and abundant ocean regions in the world. https://t.co/xCohUCE8gY

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) August 14, 2022

Within this century, enormous changes will take place in the California Current marine ecosystem. By the end of the century, three key changes are expected to occur. The water temperature, oxygen content, and carbon dioxide in California Current are anticipated to be significantly different from what they are now. Such an altered condition will cause problems for creatures that are sensitive to environmental changes- they may not adapt to it. As Jennifer Sunday, a biology professor at McGill University, suggested in her research, for most of the species in California Current, the survival rate will decrease.

Our synthesis showed vast variation in physiological rate responses (think: metabolic & growth rates) – some increases and some decreases that vary among climate variables and response types – even within species. BUT mostly declines in survival rates when measured. pic.twitter.com/mS3Sgjk3bh

— Jennifer Sunday (@JennSunday) July 29, 2022

According to San Francisco Chronicle, “with human-caused climate change, some of the most important species that live in that zone will experience major changes by the end of the century, in some cases facing a 25% lower chance of survival.”

⚡️ “California’s vital ocean current will soon see major disruption. What’s at stake” @sfchronicle https://t.co/VFOYkkOCP2

Enormous disruption predicted for California Current marine ecosystem, running length of West Coast one of world’s most rich & abundant ocean regions pic.twitter.com/r9uWT6X8uJ

— fj (@gecko39) August 16, 2022

Though the next century seems to be fairly distant from us right now, we must take action now to prevent global warming. Environmental problems will remain and even continue to grow more severe if we continue to use fossil fuels without controls. Currently, the cruel reality that the rainwater is no longer safe to drink anymore has already come. It seems as though it’s time for everyone to think deeply and consider what disastrous outcomes may continue to arise from the current actions we are doing now.

Currently, however, the California Current marine ecosystem is facing some other urgent problems now, including ocean pollution and overfishing. Such problems also present different challenges to survive to wildlife residing in that ecosystem. Even if they sound more harmless than climate change, tragedies related to them happen frequently. This beloved ecosystem and its biodiversity is on the edge to decline. To keep our precious biodiversity, and to protect our beautiful planet, we must take action now.