How Do Hurricanes Affect Ocean Ecosystems?

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

 Students should understand how hurricanes impact both land and ocean life. While we often think about the damage on land, hurricanes also affect marine ecosystems by changing water conditions and damaging habitats. By exploring the energy hurricanes release and their effects on sea creatures, students can see how storms impact the whole environment. This topic helps students think about how natural disasters affect both Does Climate Change Cause Extreme Weather? and Why are Hurricanes Getting Stronger?

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones that produce strong winds and heavy thunderstorms. Using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, winds during a category one hurricane (the lowest/least severe of the scale) can range between 74 - 95 mph. Winds from a category five hurricane (the highest on the scale) can be as strong as 157 mph. Hurricanes release an enormous amount of energy through wind and the formation of clouds and rain. A typical hurricane can release up to 300 terawatts of energy, with just 25% of that being wind.

We often only think about how hurricanes impact life on land, but they also radically affect marine ecosystems, changing everything from seafloor habitats to oxygen and salinity levels in the water. These effects may also be compounded after a hurricane reaches land as pollutants and other foreign substances wash from homes, roads, and buildings into the water. 

How hurricanes affect coastal and ocean life depends on several factors, such as how much energy it releases, the frequency of hurricanes impacting the area, and whether the marine area is populated by highly mobile sea creatures (like fishes), slower-moving organisms (like sea stars) or ocean floor-bound life (like coral).