International Journal of Marine Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 120-129 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 122 bioavailability and toxicity of pollutants may increase, causing additional pressure on the growth, reproduction, and survival of marine life. 1.3 Biological effects of physical changes Physical changes caused by global climate change have a wide range of impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms, among which sea level rise, changes in ocean currents, and extreme weather events are the most significant aspects. The continued rise in sea levels not only threatens the integrity of coastal habitats and leads to the loss of biological habitats, but also exacerbates the problem of saltwater intrusion and affects the freshwater supply of estuaries and wetland ecosystems. These habitat changes force many marine and coastal species to face migration or adaptation pressure, thereby affecting their distribution, population structure, and biodiversity. As habitats are submerged by seawater, some terrestrial and low-lying creatures are forced to move inland or higher, and it is still unknown whether these new habitats are suitable for their survival and reproduction. Changes in ocean currents also have a profound impact on marine life. Hays (2017) explored the multiple impacts of ocean currents on marine life, such as cycles that carry organisms and nutrients, distribute heat and nutrients, and the latest developments in these impacts in the context of climate change. Poloczanska et al. (2016) reviewed the response of marine organisms to recent climate change in various ocean regions from tropical waters to polar oceans, and the impact of ocean currents on species distribution. Ocean currents are an important driving force for the migration and distribution of marine organisms, affecting the circulation and transfer of nutrients in the ocean, as well as the reproduction and spread of organisms. As climate change affects ocean temperature and salinity, ocean current patterns change, which may lead to changes in biological migration paths, affect the distribution range of specific species, and even change the structure of the marine food web (Figure 1). Figure 1 Impact of ocean currents on swimming animals (Adopted from Hays, 2017) Extreme weather events, such as severe storms and heat waves, have a direct impact on marine life. These extreme events can not only cause short-term severe fluctuations in ocean surface temperature, affecting the living environment of marine life, but can also indirectly affect the growth and reproduction of marine life by increasing the amount of suspended sediment and changing the salinity of the water body. Extreme weather can also cause physical damage, such as hurricanes and severe storms that can destroy fragile ecosystems such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, which means the loss of food sources and habitat for marine species that rely on these ecosystems.
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