Linking Port Aransas and the Arctic...

C Park- Brundrett Middle School- Port Aransas, Texas

Historically, climate change has occurred several times in the past- it is a natural occurrence. The global warming that we are currently undergoing is in part natural processes at work and partly caused by the massive burning of hydrocarbons. The causes of global warming are complex but the effects are a matter of worldwide concern. Ice sheets in the Arctic are melting, and sea level is slowing rising. Rising sea level results in coastal erosion and shifting habitats. Global warming could affect the migration patterns of birds and animals through loss of habitats. Global climate change can affect the severity and number of storms hitting barrier islands such as Mustang Island and the community of Port Aransas, Texas. The ecosystems- flora and fauna- and people living in the Arctic share these same problems. Changes in climate patterns affects the sea ice, permafrost- thus affecting the animals and plants. The futures of the dynamic ecosystems of Mustang Island- the bays, salt marshes, sea grass beds, estuaries, and the open ocean- as well as people living in the community of Port Aransas are closely tied to what is happening in the Arctic.