New study reveals concerning threat to marine life: 'Dominant in many parts of the world'

New research reveals that our overheating planet and human activities are putting thousands of marine creatures at risk of extinction, even in remote areas relatively untouched by industry.

What's happening?

As One Green Planet reported, a research team studied the impact of ocean acidification, increasing ocean temperatures, and industrial activities such as shipping and fishing on over 21,000 marine species worldwide. Research lead Casey O'Hara explained that marine heat waves are affecting more species than previously thought, even in areas far from human activities.

"We found that climate stressors are dominant in many parts of the world, even far from direct human interactions with the ocean — especially sea surface temperature increases, marine heat waves, and ocean acidification," O'Hara told Newsweek.

For the study, the team used the physical characteristics of each species — such as body size, how they breathe, and whether they build shells — to determine how various stressors affect the animals.

O'Hara explained that since large marine mammals such as whales need to surface periodically for air, they're more threatened by ship strikes. Meanwhile, smaller shell-building species such as coral and mollusks are vulnerable to ocean acidification.

In addition, the findings showed that marine animals living in highly biodiverse coastal regions face a greater extinction risk than earlier studies suggested, as One Green Planet reported.

Watch now: How did Hurricane Helene wreak havoc so far inland?

The team found that species that need calcium to build shells, such as mollusks and crustaceans, including shrimp and lobsters, are especially threatened by extinction since they're affected by human-caused stressors and environmental changes.

Why is the heightened extinction risk among marine animals concerning?

According to The Nature Conservancy, over 3 billion people worldwide depend on healthy oceans to provide them with a significant source of animal protein. In addition, 10% to 12% of the world's population makes a living from fishing and shellfish harvesting. If thousands of marine animals go extinct, that could mean less food on the table and fewer economic opportunities for numerous communities.

In addition, the complex web of marine life can only sustain itself with a high amount of biodiversity. The extinction of numerous species at once would disrupt the food chain and cause ripple effects throughout marine ecosystems.

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For example, coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species despite taking up less than 0.1% of the ocean floor, per the World Wildlife Fund. They also serve as natural barriers against hurricanes and tsunamis, helping to protect the life and property of coastal communities.

What's being done to preserve marine species?

According to One Green Planet, the researchers believe that marine protected areas are critical to conserving marine biodiversity. Luckily, conservation groups and government leaders are coming together worldwide to ensure our oceans are protected for humans and animals alike.

Last year, more than 200 countries signed the "High Seas Treaty" to establish marine protected areas across the globe. In Hawaii, no-fishing zones have helped increase yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna populations, which were previously threatened.

However, researchers say more work is needed to safeguard the oceans.

"The better we understand how species and ecosystems are impacted by human activities and climate change, the more opportunities we hope to create for targeted conservation management that is ecologically effective while remaining politically and economically feasible," O'Hara told Newsweek.

We can contribute to healthier oceans by eating more plant-based foods to reduce overfishing and upgrading our home appliances to electric options, which will cut down on pollution and help lower the planet's temperature.