What Are the Consequences of Pollution on Biodiversity?

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in an ecosystem. Pollution can lead to a loss of biodiversity by directly killing individual organisms or by altering habitats so drastically that species can no longer survive. For example, coral reefs are highly sensitive to changes in water quality and temperature, and ocean pollution can lead to coral bleaching and death. The loss of any species can have a cascading effect on the entire ecosystem.