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Wildlife and nature
Main article: Climate change and ecosystems

See also: Extinction risk from climate change

Climate Change Effects on Ocean Animals
Climate change has had adverse effects on the survival and reproduction of different marine organisms, especially fish and other invertebrates. The changes in the composition of water characteristics from incidences such as increased acidification resulting from CO2 absorption limit aquatic survival. When industries emit a significant amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere a significant amount of the gases are absorbed by large water bodies. The influence of changing water bodies composition has resulted in the extermination of different fish species with others moving to new latitudes. Besides, there is a significant enrichment of water bodies by nutrients that flow from increased farming activities. The nutrients support the significant growth of marine plants. The influence is competition for space of such plants with originations such as fish and deprecation of available oxygen. Besides, through climate change, there are increased incidences of eutrophication that are influencing the rise of invasive plant species in the water bodies. The effect is significant competition for space for the indigenous plants that are a significant food source for marine animals. Through increment of water temperatures influenced by the higher rate of absorption of rising heat on earth, there is a disturbance of marine specifies life cycles. Some of the animals are unable to withstand the rising temperatures, resulting in significant deaths and probable future extinction.

The climatic changes influenced by global warming support significant algal blooms in different parts of the globe especially in the USA, Japan, Europe, and Australia. The introduction of aquatic macrophytes in terrestrial ecosystems, wetlands, and freshwater has caused significant ecological changes. The influence is an increasing trend of invasion of lacertian species to the sea from the seas to oceans and vice versa. Aquatic ecosystems are relatively sensitive to changes in their habitat conditions. The projected aquatic biodiversity adverse effects from global warming are relatively higher when compared to the terrestrial counterparts. A quantitative synthesis shows that climate change influences a warming-induced reduction related to the sizes of ectothermic species. There are over 30,000 species of diverse vertebrates living in water and climate change is likely to lower this number in the future. The coexistence of the identifies specifies occurs through structured food-webs, which are significantly distorted by the ongoing climate change in the globe. For fishes, their common biological adaptation to their habitat change is moving to newer areas. The impact is a disruption of food for marine animals that depends on them. Aquatic species that cannot grow in the increased warm waters are also likely to reduce the food available for aquatic animals. The influence is an imbalance in the marine ecosystem and the eventual extinction of many marine plants and animals' species.

Ice Melting
Climate change is a significant contributor to increasing ice melting on the earth's poles. Solar radiation on ice is expected to be reflected because ice and snow are relatively white causing significantly less impact on their melting. However, due to the rising global warming, there is an increment in the earth's temperatures that contribute to ice melting, especially during summer. The incidence contributes to the exposure of the lands and oceans underneath such melted ice. The exposed surfaces absorb more of the incoming solar radiation which they later release to the atmosphere. The influence is an increment in the overall heat on the surface of the earth, which contributes to increased global warming. Therefore, melting ice has an indirect influence in causing more global warming and the eventual melting of more ice. There is a prediction that in years to come, there will be no more ice on the surface of the Arctic ocean. Global warming is further causing significant thawing of permafrost, which supports the release of carbon dioxide trapped in the land source. The gases are released to add to the problem of global warming and more permafrost melts.

A combination of thermal expansion and increased mountain glaciers’ melting is also resulting in an increment in the seawater levels. There is a prediction that the sea level will have raised by about 1.5 to 2.7 feet by the beginning of the 22nd century. The prediction relates to the current prediction of global warming, but the actual increment may be higher if efforts are not in place to reduce global warming. There is a possibility that continued temperature rise will influence higher melting of ice sheets, which will significantly increase water volumes in oceans. Paleoclimatic evidence shows that with an addition of between 1.5 to 2 degrees centigrade of warming, there is a possibility of overhauling Greenland Ice Sheet destruction. Such an incidence has the potential of increasing sea levels by over five meters. Such a substantial rise in water levels could submerge multiple islands and cause significant flooding of cities bordering large water bodies.