BY DR NURUL HUDA AHMAD ISHAK
RISING temperatures pose a high risk to marine and coastal ecosystems. This is a well-recognised fact. More than half of the world’s marine species may be now standing on the brink of extinction by 2100.
The climate and ocean are closely linked. When oceans get hotter, they can hold more carbon dioxide and this will cause seawater to become more acidic.
Mangrove and coral reef damage due to climate change is a well-documented fact. But another marine feature that is under critical threat and is on the verge of extinction is zooplankton.
Zooplankton is usually described as an “all-rounder” in aquatic ecosystems. It plays a diverse role from being a food source for larger animals to being a climate change indicator in itself. But now this climate change indicator is itself heading for extinction due to the impact of climate change.
Zooplankton is considered a powerful climate change indicator because of its unique ability to adjust its body temperature according to the surrounding temperature which is also known as poikilothermic.
