climate change in marine environments.
Our focus in this collection is on the effects of climate change on the marine environment which has registered a 0.7°C increase in temperature since pre-industrial times, a change that is disrupting life in the oceans in many ways: from coral bleaching, extreme weather and species shifting their homes to cooler regions as sea temperatures rise, to rising sea levels and the increasing acidity of oceans due to the release of carbon dioxide, the result of human activity. Other human activity – the use and careless disposal of un-recyclable plastic – simply compounds the problems for marine life in the 21st century.
Our work explores different aspects of these issues, encouraging the viewer to reflect not only on the nature of the problems but also, potentially, on their resolution.
ocean plastic pollution
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to the health of our oceans and impacts on many species and their habitats.
Between four and twelve million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. It is a huge problem and it doesn’t go away
“Plastics are forever”
Over time it does break down into small particles called microplastics. These are easily ingested by sea creatures but are impossible for the creatures to eliminate. They accumulate in the digestive tract of the marine animals and may cause them to stop feeding as they feel full and hence they die of starvation, or they cause a blockage leading to death.
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