As we've discussed on other occasions, climate change affects every corner of the planet. And of course, it's no exception in the seas and oceans. Its devastating effects are changing living conditions in every sea on the planet.
For now, the effect that is making the most changes in living conditions in the seas is the increase in temperatures in surface waters. What is climate change doing to our seas?
Increase in sea temperatures
Surface water temperatures are increasing and with it, phytoplankton, which is the basis of all food for the food chain in the seas, is decreasing. Meteorological phenomena and changes in temperature cause changes in ocean currents.
How can changes in ocean currents affect species? It's very simple: phytoplankton are microscopic plants that bloom and thrive in the water. When currents and their circulation patterns change, the food supply of many species that rely on them shifts. This forces species to move and change their habitat, risking confrontation with other, more lethal predators and forcing them to adapt to new conditions. This is linked to the impact of climate change on the seas and oceans. One of the greatest challenges facing marine species is the impact of climate change on the seas.
All of this causes more negative impacts on marine ecosystems and reduces the survival chances of many species. It's also important to mention that there are studies on the impact of climate change on the oceans and its consequences, such as the warming of the Mediterranean, which is a topic of growing concern today.
A study on climate change in the seas
A study has identified the six major areas of the planet that would have to be safeguarded if life is to continue to exist in the sea. The study is conducted by Australian, New Zealand and Spanish researchers. In order to investigate the characteristics of ecosystems and how climate change affects them, they have used data from a constellation of satellites collected in the last 30 years to find out how climate change is affecting the seas of the entire planet.
Thanks to the development of technology, it has been possible to obtain images of how climate change affects the seas around the world in a graphic resolution not reached until nowAlthough basic physics dictates that conditions in a liquid medium are ultimately the same everywhere, things are not that way in the vastness of the ocean. Therefore, global warming is not the same in all waters, and it's not just a matter of latitude. In this context, the differences between climate change and global warming can be observed, especially in the oceanic region. South China Sea.
Effects of climate change on the seas
The effects that climate change is causing in the seas, or at least the most notable and immediate, are:
- Warming of surface waters
- Decreased chlorophyll production in plants
- Changes in the patterns of ocean currents
The study has been published in Science Advances, and shows two opposing trends. On the one hand, warming of surface waters has not stopped increasing since the 80s of the last century. On the other hand, the concentration of chlorophyll per cubic meter has steadily decreased since then. The study also measured a third variable: ocean currents, which are responsible for distributing heat across the planet and, in conjunction with atmospheric movements, also for weather. Although there is great heterogeneity, these marine rivers are generally slowing down, which may have consequences similar to those of other deserts threatened by global warming, as mentioned in other research on the topic.
Combining all these factors is how scientists have been able to specify in each area and have been able to measure the impacts of climate change on a regional and local scale. The polar regions are those that are suffering a greater relative increase in the temperatures of their waters and it is where, when the fresh water from the melt comes into action, it upsets the marine currents. In terms of biodiversity, both the North Atlantic and the northern Pacific fringe are experiencing a warming whose impact on marine biodiversity is yet to be determined.
As you can see, climate change is affecting all corners of the planet and the more it is studied, the more awareness there is that the effects are real and they do not stop increasing.
It is shocking what is happening to the end of the world with so much environmental aggression