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TThe problem starts at the bottom of the aquatic food chain: all types of algae, fuzzy underwater plants such as algae, pond scum and algal blooms, all feel the warmth of global warming, and humans could suffer, new studies show.
The algae are small but powerful, and are responsible for the synthesis of most of the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the world. Plants provide DHA to fish and marine animals, many of which eventually end up everywhere in the plates of seafood lovers. But algae are particularly sensitive to changes in room temperature – and warmer waters have already begun to disrupt the synthesis of DHA algae.
A new study, published Wednesday in the newspaper Ambio, predicts that By 2100, 96% of the world's population may not have sufficient access to a DHA, the natural omega-3 acid essential for brain development. This is the worst scenario if global warming continues unabated. Researchers estimate an overall loss of about 10-58% of DHA worldwide over the next 80 years.
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DHA is a key component of cell membranes and is essential for brain function. It helps regulate cell survival, inflammation and neuroprotection and accounts for 10% of mammalian brain fatty acids. DHA is also thought to contribute to the development of the central nervous system and the retina. New research indicates that DHA and other types of omega-3 can help people with depression, if they are associated with antidepressants. DHA is especially useful for fetuses, babies and young children to develop a healthy brain and eyes.
But humans can not produce enough DHA by themselves. To reach the recommended dosage – 1.1 g for adult women and 1.6 g for adult men – they must either eat foods rich in DHA, such as fish and seafood, once or twice a week, either take dietary supplements.
As the production of DHA declines and the human population explodes, humans around the world will likely become deficient in DHA. Basically, too many people and not enough seafood will cause health problems. In addition to global warming, our seas and freshwater areas are dangerously overexploited, making DHA more rare. A third of the world's fish stocks are operating at unsustainable levels, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Some places and some people will be more affected than others: freshwater plans would suffer more from the omega – 3 crisis than oceans or seas, because they would undergo extreme warming.
People living in countries with large and less populated fish production, such as Greenland, Norway, Chile and New Zealand, could still consume the recommended 100 mg daily dose. However, other countries such as China, Japan and Indonesia, as well as all African countries, except Namibia, could stop producing an excessive amount of DHA and fall below threshold of the recommended dose by 2100.
Shortages can be mitigated by international trade, but vulnerable communities may not have the same financial capacity to ship supplements or replace fish stocks as other richer countries.
And the shortage of DHA will not only affect humans: predatory mammals such as polar bears, Arctic hares and ringed seals can also suffer.
The DHA crisis is not announced for a few decades, so it does not mean everyone has to rush to the pharmacy to stock up on ten bottles of DHA. But this is another reason to reduce carbon emissions and overfishing, so that grandchildren of this generation have a healthy vision and brain.
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