Oceans play a very important role in moderating climate change by helping to regulate heat and carbon dioxide levels. It is therefore very important to understand the interrelationship between oceans and climate change in order to develop better policies on this issue. The oceans are vulnerable to the negative impacts of human greenhouse gas emissions. These impacts primarily include changes in air and water temperatures, rising ocean water levels, increased levels of ocean acidification, coastal erosion, and seasonal changes. Ocean acidification is caused by increased atmospheric carbon and makes it harder for planktonic organisms that depend on calcium carbonate to form their shells to survive. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe effects of acidification have occurred since the beginning of the famous industrial revolution, when the ocean's pH levels decreased. This has led to coral bleaching in which the organisms that help make up the coral die (Buchheim, 1995). It is important to note that it is from these unicellular organisms that corals feed for proper nutrition. As a result, they remain weak and malnourished and therefore unable to offer protection and shelter to other marine organisms. This poses a threat to the food chain and marine ecosystem. Rising ocean temperatures are another cause for concern because increased warming in the ocean increases stratification of the ocean. Ocean stratification hinders important processes such as photosynthesis and limits primary production, thus disrupting the marine food web. As ocean water warms, many species will be forced to migrate in order to maintain the temperature conditions necessary for feeding and reproduction. This affects people and industries that depend on the ocean for food and other natural resources. Upwelling areas, for example, provide some of the richest fishing grounds. Coral reefs are known to provide habitat for fish and other sources of protein-rich food for people, as well as tourist attraction sites. Ocean currents play an important role in providing nutrients needed to support life in the marine ecosystem. The currents are due to temperature variations associated with changing attitudes. Slow currents mean that fewer nutrients are brought in to sustain ocean life and this in some ways alters the marine ecosystem. Slow ocean currents also mean there is excess carbon stored in the ocean because there is enough fresh water introduced to neutralize the excess carbon. The high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an increase in global temperature. This results in the thermal expansion of ocean water, as well as the melting of ice sheets and therefore sea level rise (Nicholls, R; et al. (2010)). It is therefore important to develop policies that have a benefit in reducing carbon dioxide. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Observing the change in the heat content of the ocean is important to understand how exactly the ocean is changing with global warming. Sea level rise represents a notable change in the oceans. Due to global warming, glaciers and ice sheets are melting and water is flowing towards, 6, 684.