Impact of global warming on our seas

A combination of melting ice caps and thermal expansion of water in the oceans means that many low lying island states will be submerged. Many coastal areas and estuaries will be flooded by the sea, while an increase in extreme weather patterns will increase erosion and flooding. It is possible that even the fundamental patterns of ocean circulation which largely govern the earth’s climate will be changed, leading to widespread disruption of both ocean and terrestrial ecosystems. Already there is some evidence that the populations of plankotic organisms which provide basis for all life in the oceans, including fish populations, are changing in response to these climatic changes.