Natural History Museum

The Smithsonian museums present the discovery of new knowledge and preserve our history for the public. The Natural History Museum shows our fascinating world that surrounds us and our place in it. Looking closely at the “Sant Ocean Hall” and the “Living on the Ocean Planet” exhibits, I learned about the biggest surface of the planet, the ocean. The warming of the ocean, ocean acidification, and how the ocean is important to every living organism, including us, are tackled by these exhibitions to inform the everlasting effect of climate change and its effect on marine life. The earth has gone through several climate changes through its 4.6 billion year lifetime. It’s a natural process that the earth goes through during its lifetime, but something

This accelerated warming phenomenon has caused a gradual increase of the temperature of the ocean. The most affected are the Polar Regions that are warmer much faster and creating a significant amount of melting of the ice capes. Ice capes will “release freshwater will create layer over saltwater because it less dense”, this in turn will cause an “[alternation] to the very large current systems, gyres, that govern climate” (Atikkan). The loss of the capes put the Arctic in danger to the introduction of “unfamiliar species, increased shipping, and industrial exploitation” (“The Sant Ocean Hall”). As sea level rises due to the melting of the ice capes, many ecosystem are at risk, whether or not some may be able to adapt is up to the speed of the changing climate system. Marine animals are changing their location, moving further north or south. This is a direct result of the “warming phenomenon [that] causes the marine animals to change latitude” (Atikkan). Coral reef ecosystem are being put into danger as well as the

As the atmosphere and the ocean are becoming warmer because of the increase in the emissions of carbon dioxide, it provides an environment for a hurricane to form. “Healthy ecosystems and functional biogeochemical cycles not only are the foundation of a sustainable biosphere but also provide many goods and services for human well-being” (Dixon). The impact of climate change on marine animals is substantial to create change to the living organism, but the effects of climate change are going to be twofold as the ocean pH begins to