Atmospheric pollution Marine pollution

graph linking atmospheric dust various coral deaths across caribbean sea , florida

another pathway of pollution occurs through atmosphere. wind-blown dust , debris, including plastic bags, blown seaward landfills , other areas. dust sahara moving around southern periphery of subtropical ridge moves caribbean , florida during warm season ridge builds , moves northward through subtropical atlantic. dust can attributed global transport gobi , taklamakan deserts across korea, japan, , northern pacific hawaiian islands. since 1970, dust outbreaks have worsened due periods of drought in africa. there large variability in dust transport caribbean , florida year year; however, flux greater during positive phases of north atlantic oscillation. usgs links dust events decline in health of coral reefs across caribbean , florida, since 1970s.

climate change raising ocean temperatures , raising levels of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. these rising levels of carbon dioxide acidifying oceans. this, in turn, altering aquatic ecosystems , modifying fish distributions, impacts on sustainability of fisheries , livelihoods of communities depend on them. healthy ocean ecosystems important mitigation of climate change.