Energy Effects on the Aquatic Ecosystem

Oil Spills

Perhaps the most obvious impact of energy consumption on aquatic ecosystems can be seen from oil spills. The 2010 British Petroleum spill in the Gulf of Mexico has negatively impacted numerous forms of wildlife in the Gulf, causing untold damage to what was once one of America's most fertile fishing areas. It may take generations to fully understand the impacts this spill has had on the ecosystem, which caused an estimated $12 billion in damages. As of 2011, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was still being cleaned up, which leads to the conclusion that it will take decades before the full damage of the Gulf oil spill --- which was far bigger --- can be ascertained.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, climate change is causing a hydrologic cycle that is affecting aquatic ecosystems. As atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide increase, this leads to a variety of changes in underwater ecosystems, including increased levels of salinity and carbon dioxide, rising water temperature and altered sea levels. These changes in turn can lead to other changes in a domino effect that causes aquatic species to respond by changing behavior, such as interactions between species, leading to variety of unforeseen consequences that will upset the delicate balance of aquatic ecosystems.

The Minnesota-based environmental website Lake Access references a 2000 news story noting that horsepower of boats doubled between the years of 1981 and 1999, which affected many aquatic ecosystems in the state known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Propellers may disturb the bottoms of lakes or rivers, which can cause plant nutrients stored in the sediments such as phosphorous to be disturbed. Motorized watercraft can also lead to shoreline erosion and lead to fuel spills and leaks that can damage underwater plant life, cause fish mortality in certain species and negatively impact other forms of aquatic life.

According to a study by Wilkes University professor Dr. Kenneth M. Klemow, the wetlands, creeks and lakes of Pennsylvania have been seriously affected by mining in the region. These aquatic ecosystems -- which include a wide variety of plant and animal life -- have suffered effects of both a physical and chemical nature that are directly related to the toxic effluent pumped into the region's waters and wetlands as a waste product in mining operations.