In pictures: the impact of the climate crisis and human activity on our oceans

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If ocean warming continues at the current rate, we stand to lose sights like this.

Oceans are on the frontline of the climate crisis due to the central role they play in regulating the Earth’s climate by absorbing excess heat from emissions.

These images from the climate-photography resource Climate Visuals explore how rising temperatures are harming marine life and coastal communities that rely on the oceans.

Such photos serve as a reminder of the need to protect our planet’s greatest carbon sink, or risk losing the range of benefits it provides us with.

Our oceans bear the brunt of the impacts of global warming, having absorbed around 90% of the heat generated by rising emissions to date, according to the United Nations.

These changes in temperature lead to a cascade of effects, from ice melt to ocean acidification. They not only harm marine biodiversity, but affect the lives of 680 million people living in low-lying coastal areas and the 2 billion inhabitants of coastal megacities affected by flooding, cyclones and more.

A photography competition by Climate Visuals seeks to raise awareness and understanding of how the climate crisis and human activity are impacting the ocean.

These images from the Ocean Visuals collection explore how rising temperatures are harming marine life, and how coastal communities are working together to tackle the effects of global warming on the environment.

DISCOVER

What's the World Economic Forum doing about the ocean?

Our ocean covers 70% of the world’s surface and accounts for 80% of the planet’s biodiversity. We can't have a healthy future without a healthy ocean - but it's more vulnerable than ever because of climate change and pollution.

Tackling the grave threats to our ocean means working with leaders across sectors, from business to government to academia.

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, convenes the Friends of Ocean Action, a coalition of leaders working together to protect the seas. From a programme with the Indonesian government to cut plastic waste entering the sea to a global plan to track illegal fishing, the Friends are pushing for new solutions.

Climate change is an inextricable part of the threat to our oceans, with rising temperatures and acidification disrupting fragile ecosystems. The Forum runs a number of initiatives to support the shift to a low-carbon economy, including hosting the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, who have cut emissions in their companies by 9%.

Is your organization interested in working with the World Economic Forum? Find out more here.

Clown fish are bred and housed in a hatchery near Jakarta, Indonesia. Image: Giacomo d'Orlando / Climate Visuals

The climate crisis is causing fish populations to decline, meaning hatcheries like these are vital to reviving fish populations in the wild.

A group of Indian fishers hauling in their nets, West Bengal. Image: Shibasish Saha / Climate Visuals

With lower fish stocks, the livelihoods of fishers and their families are put under strain as incomes fall.

Rising ocean temperatures cause corals to expel the microscopic algae living within them, keeping them alive. In picture, reef surrounding Namotu Island, Fiji. Image: Beau Pilgrim / Climate Visuals

Rising ocean temperatures cause corals to expel the microscopic algae living within them, keeping them alive. The coral then loses its bright colour and dies, a process known as coral bleaching.

This coastal community in Pramuka Island, Indonesia is committed to coral restoration to preserve the marine ecosystem. Image: Giacomo d'Orlando / Climate Visuals

Many coral reefs are experiencing bleaching around the world, so restoration is vital to ensure the marine life that depend on these habitats are protected.

An artificial reef in Mon Choisy, Mauritius. Image: Reuben Pillay / Climate Visuals

Artificial reefs like these help to not only provide a habitat for fish, but also to reduce soil erosion by breaking the force of the waves before they reach the shores.

The body of a deer lies in a mangrove forest in Kalir Char, Bangladesh. Image: Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury / Climate Visuals

The climate crisis is increasing soil salinity in many regions of the world, destroying flora and fauna which provide food and shelter for both plants and animals.

Melting sea ice in Uummannaq, Greenland. Image: Adam Sébire / Climate Visuals

As sea ice melts, Inuits in the Arctic region struggle to carry out their daily tasks like hunting due to the lack of reliably solid sea ice.

A woman cycles home from work in Demak, Central Java, Indonesia. Image: Dhana Kencana / Climate Visuals

Sea-level rise as a result of the climate crisis is creating challenging commutes like this for many coastal communities.

A flash flood submerges homes in Sunamganj, Bangladesh. Image: Muhammad Amdad Hossain / Climate Visuals

Coastal villages around the world are increasingly experiencing extreme flooding, with citizens having to migrate further inland.

Boats are the only viable transport option for these villagers in the Kudigram district of Bangladesh. Image: Muhammad Amdad Hossain / Climate Visuals

The climate crisis has forced coastal communities to adapt their way of life to endure through floods.

Hundreds of mangrove seedlings grow on an island south of Fiji's main island, Viti Levu. Image: Tom Vierus / Climate Visuals

To combat flooding, Fiji's government sponsors several mangrove reforestation initiatives like this throughout the country. Mangroves increase the resilience of coastal communities by serving as a natural wave barrier.

People construct a levee with sandbags on a beach in Ihuru, Maldives. Image: Alain Schroeder / Climate Visuals

As sea levels rise, shoreline erosion must be addressed with protective measures like these that control how sand moves.

A group of volunteers for Clean Ocean Sailing sort through marine waste. Image: Monika Hertlova / Climate Visuals

Every year, an estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Volunteers like those pictured above offer their time to remove this waste and sort through it to recycle or repurpose different items.

A person with oil-coated hands after a spill in the Niger Delta. Image: Jerry Chidi / Climate Visuals

These photos emphasize the need to protect our oceans – the planet’s greatest carbon sink – or we risk losing the range of benefits they provide us with, from breathable air to the future of food supplies.