Sea Lions and the Change in Temperature
Many animals including Sea Lions are adversely affected by global warming. For those that live in the sub arctic regions, the change in temperature can result in ice melting. They don’t always have access to land where they can bask in the sun. They also need land to mate and for their pups to be born. If they can’t find land for this then the mating won’t take place. As a result the number of them will drop and they are already at very low numbers in regards to some species.
The ice in these area serves as the land they need for these various aspects of their lives to take place. As the ice melts it definitely changes the way that they go about things. Many of the young drown as they end up having to go into the water before they are strong enough to swim. Others die from the cold as they won’t have enough blubber yet to keep their body temperature regulated. In some instances blocks of ice can break off and that means that they are floating off without a way to get back to their natural habitat.
In the tropics, the water temperatures also affect the body temperature of the Sea Lions. They are more susceptible to parasites and tapeworms as the temperatures get warmer. Both of them can have an adverse effect on these animals. Bacteria is going to breed faster too which can cause large numbers of them to die.
Areas of water can dry up due to global warming, and that means their natural habitat is going to disappear. They do have the ability to go to other bodies of water but it can be hard for them to survive there. It can also upset the balance of the ecosystem that is already in place. The availability of food can dwindle too due to global warming. This is going to result in Sea Lions that aren’t as healthy as they should be. It can also cause an increase in the number of them that become a food source for Killer Whales and Sharks.
People tend to be in the natural environment of Sea Lions more too when the temperatures increase. They find the water to be a fun place to swim, to operate boats, and more. They also tend to pollute the waters more which in turn is very difficult for the Sea Lions to survive in. Common items of trash that get blown into the water from the shore can result in digestive problems for them, especially plastic.
Not everyone thinks that global warming is a problem in our society. However, there has been sufficient research done on the topic that verifies it isn’t good for animals or humans. Sea Lions are just one group of animals that are finding it harder to survive due to global warming. While they have been able to evolve on many levels for millions of years, this may prove to be what they can’t get past. Global warming is a very serious issue for Sea Lions so if you want to protect them this is an issue that needs some attention as well.
As you can see there are many ways in which global warming has a negative impact on Sea Lions. Hopefully the efforts in place to educate people and to reduce global warming effects will work. We all have to do our part though to make it happen. Otherwise these animals as well as others will continue to have their world jeopardized. This is going to one day also have a negative impact on humans too as we depend on the animal world more than we realize.
