The effects of large hurricanes on land are unfortunately more than known to all of us, but the effects that surely have on the fauna and flora of the ocean remains a mystery to many.
Curt Storlazzi - an ocean specialist who is part of the US Geological Survey - told Live Science magazine about some of these effects.
The effects of the hurricane on the ocean
The first effects are seen on the surface of the ocean, where the strong winds are creating waves that with time become bigger and bigger. The waves with the wind are generating waves in the water that are expanding towards the bottom, mixing the warm waters of the surface, which were heated by the Sun, with the frozen waters of the depths.
Many times these waves generated by the hurricane dissipate in the road, but if they are intense enough they can reach the depths of the ocean, really near the sea floor, bouncing and generating horizontal slides that are capable of raising sediments and even moving large objects which are lost there.
Large vessels or other objects of human origin that were lost in the ocean could be moved or unearthed, but the real concern for Storlazzi and the specialists are the effects of the hurricane on animals that are not willing to leave their homes .
While many swimming animals like fish or sharks detect changes in pressure in the water, escaping from the danger zone, other animals, which are more territorial or can not move, are taking care of their environment.
Animals such as sea turtles, oysters or seahorses, which swim slower than the rest of the animals or decide to stay, will suffer the consequences of less oxygen in the water after the bottom ones with those of the surface.
The effects of the hurricane are terrible especially for coral reefs, which are not able to adapt to the change in temperature, dying or being swept away by the sea waves that end up destroying them.
However, experts believe that reefs sooner or later end up rebuilding, in about 15 or 20 years, although in recent times it has been observed that this is not happening in the way expected, perhaps by human factors such as overfishing, global warming or water pollution.
Did you know the effects of the great hurricanes on the ocean? What share of responsibility will we humans have in the face of natural catastrophes?
