Question

Urbanization on the world's coast is growing very rapidly. It is estimated that more than half of today's world population live in coastal areas (within 60 km from the ocean) and this number continues to rise. Coastal areas are also the most visited by tourists across the globe. Which of the following threats to the ocean is most likely not posed by human actions?

1) Pollution of marine resources
2) Damaged coral reefs
3) Higher hurricane wind speed
4) Damaged sea turtle nesting sites

Answer 1

Among the provided options, higher hurricane wind speed is the threat to the ocean least likely caused directly by human actions, although climate change does influence hurricane behavior.

Step-by-step explanation:

The threat to the ocean most likely not posed by human actions among the options provided is higher hurricane wind speed. While human activities such as pollution, coastal development, and overfishing lead directly to marine resource pollution, damaged coral reefs, and damaged sea turtle nesting sites, hurricane wind speed is influenced primarily by natural meteorological and climatological conditions.

However, it is important to note that climate change, which is driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, can affect the intensity and frequency of hurricanes, but the wind speed of a given hurricane is not directly caused by human actions.