Throughout Module 1 we have studied the very introduction to climate change. We have seen anything from climate records to climate events that have happened and how we know they happened. In the New York Times I found an article called “Animals Die in Large Numbers, and Researchers Scratch Their Heads”. As the level of CO₂ increases in our world we could potentially see such events as the ones that happened during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum era. This was a time in Earth’s history where the levels of CO₂ became so high that the oceans became incredibly acidic, wiping out a large number of ocean species. The PETM is linked to the largest mass extinction of animals living in the ocean.

As our surroundings begin to increase with CO₂ scientists are studying the past in order to predict our future. The article that I read was about a type of seabird called a murre which inhabits Alaska. The death rate for these birds has been steadily increasing but just made a rapid increase more recently. Thousands of these sea birds are dying and being found on seashores and out in the middle of the ocean, floating. There seems to be no disease related cause for their death, the only thing that has been recorded is how withered and thin the birds look when they are found. Their appearance can only mean one thing and that would be lack of food for the murres. It is stated in the article that the decline in fish food could be because of the climate change and a difference in ocean temperatures. El Nino has not reached Alaska yet and could not be at fault for the changing ocean temperatures.

The murres are not the only animal to be dying off quickly, but also the moose, bees, dolphin and the saiga antelope. The article also talks about a study that following large animal die offs since 1940 and saw that they are on the rise. It is important to find and study the reasons that many animals are facing such large die-offs because they could have potential effect on humans in the future.

Gorman, James. “Animals Die in Large Numbers, and Researchers Scratch Their Heads.” New York Times. N.p., 18 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.