The Devastating Reality of Wildfire Smoke on Marine Life

   As the fires on the west coast burn more in more, the wildlife found in the surrounding oceans could be in danger. Due to the marine animals being adapted to the ocean, they aren't used to the chemicals and air pollutants on land, making them more susceptible to health issues that we may not react to as much. The oil rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico now 10 years ago, the bottlenose dolphins who experienced the burning of the oil had extreme lung issues and their offspring died very quick. Although there is no evidence yet of the wildfires affecting the marine mammals, it is a possibility and something that should be thought about. Scientists along the West Coast are being told to start collecting data in order to better understand the consequences of the smoke on dolphins, porpoises, whales, etc. Their lungs and general anatomy differs from those animals on land who are able to get the smoke out of their system much easier. Back during the oil spill, it could have been a mixture of breathing in smoke and eating oil that caused harm to the dolphins. Marine mammals immune systems will probably be weakened, and even worse the effects of the smoke may cause cancer or death within them. As the climate continues to change, making forests more susceptible to wildfires, our marine life continue to be at a greater risk. It's hard to think about how our mistakes, as humans, are not only affecting us, but affecting the marine life as well. They are dealing with the consequences of the decisions we made and they have no other choice. Something needs to be done and we, as humans, need to make that change. We can't keep sitting back and watching while the world around us continues to suffer more and more everyday. 

Comments

  1. 22agrubeOctober 15, 2020 at 5:36 PM

    Super cool- I would have never thought that marine animals would be affected by air pollution. But then again, marine mammals like whales and dolphins have lungs, so they would be breathing in air anyways. I wonder what, if any, effects that would occur in fish due to air pollution.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 19, 2020 at 8:59 AM

    even though dolphins and whales take in air to live, the marine life that uses water to "breathe" are also being affected due to the pollution in the atmosphere that transfer in the hydroshere

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