Greenhouse gases causing huge ocean acidification

The increased emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) are not only contributing to global temperature increase but also cause huge ocean acidification.

According to the latest study by the University of Hawaii man-made carbon emissions have been main factor behind the increased acidity in our oceans. In fact, man-made carbon emissions over the last 100 to 200 years have raised ocean acidity far beyond the range of natural variations.

Ocean acidification is enormous threat to marine life because it impairs the ability of marine organisms such as corals and mollusks to form their skeletons or shells, and these marine organisms play key role in enabling the proper functioning of marine food chain.

If ocean acidification continues world will soon experience huge biodiversity loss in our oceans and seas. This is because such rapid increase in acidity leaves very little time for marine species to adapt.

The natural rate of change in climate has always left enough time for many species to adapt but this is no case with man-made climate change. The researcher Tobias Friedrich at the the International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii explained this by saying that "when Earth started to warm 17,000 years ago, terminating the last glacial period, atmospheric CO2 levels rose from 190 parts per million (ppm) to 280 ppm over 6,000 years. Marine ecosystems had ample time to adjust. Now, for a similar rise in CO2 concentration to the present level of 392 ppm, the adjustment time is reduced to only 100 – 200 years."

The only way to stop further ocean acidification is to drastically reduce the amount of carbon emissions on global level and this can be achieved only with very strict international climate deal. Judging by the latest climate change talks new climate deal is very low on political agenda of world leaders, well behind global financial woes that seem to be taking all the attention.

Ocean layers warming too fast

The subsurface ocean layers that surround the polar ice sheets continue to warm really fast because of the global warming phenomenon. This will in years to come significantly add to melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets increasing sea level rise well beyond current projections.

Polar ice sheets are even more troubled with the rapid warming of ocean layers than with the increased air temperatures. This is because water has a much larger heat capacity than air, you can for instance just compare the effect of melting an ice cube in a warm room to the melting of the ice cube in the warmer water. While to melt an ice cube in a warm room you need several hours in order to melt ice cube in a warmer water you only need couple of minutes.

The researchers from the University of Arizona believe that the subsurface ocean along the Greenland coast could experience a temperature increase of a 3.6 °F (2 °C) by 2100. This is twice as much as the predicted average warming of ocean layers of 1.8 °F.

The main reason why Arctic will melt more rapidly compared to Antarctica is the Gulf stream. The Gulf Stream carries warm subtropical waters north towards the Arctic while Antarctic Circumpolar Current blocks large share of subtropical warmth from entering Antarctic's waters.

Still, even despite this blocking Antarctica won't be spared of rapid warming and will likely melt faster than previously predicted though very likely not as fast as Arctic.

If ocean layers continue the current trend of warming by the end of the century world could experience a sea level rise of around one meter if not even more. This is certainly a one thing we should avoid at all costs.

How will climate change impact the marine life in our seas and oceans?

Climate change could soon create huge problems for marine ecosystems in the Baltic Sea because Baltic sea is becoming less salty. The reason why Baltic sea is becoming more and more freshwater sea is because of the increase in precipitation in the river basins that flow into the Baltic Sea.

Less salty sea will in years to come cause extinction of many marine species leading to a huge problems in marine food chain. The decreased salinity together with overfishing and pollution could in years to come completely devastate Baltic's marine life creating irreparable environmental damage.

Climate change is not having huge impact solely on Baltic sea but on other seas and oceans too. For instance, scientists have recently noticed the arrival of a new species of plankton in the north Atlantic coming from the Pacific. If this species of plankton continues to spread further across the Atlantic it could disrupt the current functioning of marine food web because this is the species that belongs at the very base of the marine food web.

The new species are appearing in Atlantic ocean because of the rapid melting of Arctic which allows many species to pass through and enter the Atlantic waters. If Arctic continues its current melting trend this will lead to a huge changes in marine life in Atlantic and could have dramatic effect on fisheries.

The scientists still cannot fully predict what effect will interaction between new and native marine species will have on marine food web. This is because the migration of marine species from one place to another usually occurs at varying speeds.

Among the seas most threatened with climate change is also the Mediterranean sea. The scientists predict Mediterranean sea could see one third of its 75 fish species threatened and six extinct by 2060 if current warming trend at the Mediterranean continues.

Climate change certainly looks more likely to create problems for many of our seas and oceans than to create some positive impact. This is the reason why science needs to learn much more about what is happening in our seas and oceans so we could at least have some sort of chance to overturn these negative effects.

The connection between climate change and ocean circulation

If you ask climate change scientists about the connection between climate change and ocean circulation many of them will tell you that there is a very strong connection between these two. A team of scientists from the University of Cardiff has managed to find the evidence which connects fluctuations in ocean circulation to the climate change and temperature.

The primary focus of their study was Atlantic meridional overturning circulation that carries tropical surface waters northwards, and cold deep water from the North Atlantic southwards to fill the Atlantic basin. In Atlantic basin this water gets mixed with deep waters that originate in the Antarctic region.

Ocean circulation.

Climate change scientists already know that in times when ocean circulation is strong, heat is moved efficiently from the tropics to the poles, and when the circulation is weak the poles become colder.

Scientists believe that that during particularly cold periods in the last ice age Atlantic meridional overturning circulation was very weakened, and when this circulation strengthens after a period of weak circulation, it doesn't just return to its "normal" extent but it gets stronger than before.

The lead author of this study, Dr Stephen Barker from Cardiff University, explained this very vividly by saying "when the circulation kicks back in, it comes back with a vengeance".

These changes in ocean circulation are extremely important, and according to a scientific analysis they were responsible for the increase of 9 degrees Celsius over the course of just a few decades, 14,600 years ago.

So many factors influence climate change, and ocean circulation looks to be among the most important ones.

Oceans should be protected in new climate deal

We are only couple of months away from the crucial climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December, where world should agree new climate deal that would stop climate change impact increasing even further. The main question at these negotiations will be greenhouse gas emissions, or more precisely how much should we reduce greenhouse gas emissions in years to come. Many experts believe that there should be another question on new climate deal agenda, namely the question of ocean protection that simply has to be included in new climate deal.

Many people are still unaware that our oceans also need protection from global warming, climate change, and of course pollution. This is why representatives from over 70 nations at the World Ocean Conference in Indonesia are asking for oceans to be included on the agenda of global climate change talks. Cuts in ocean pollution, funding for sustainable development in developing countries, greater research into how climate change affects the ocean and the role oceans play in fighting climate change are all needed to reverse the impact of global warming on the oceans. Let us not forget that oceans absorb large quantities of CO2, and without them on our side it will be impossible to tackle climate change.

Oceans, as well as forests, are crucial natural defenders against global warming because of their CO2 absorbing ability. But unless we significantly stop greenhouse gas emissions they will lose this significant ability because there would be too much CO2 to absorb. Ocean pollution and acidification are also making things more difficult than they should really be, and current percentage of less than 1% of the world's oceans that have been given protection status will not be enough in years to come.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was not far away from truth when he warned the world how "the future of the oceans is a life and death issue for humanity". U.S . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that all nations have to work harder to conserve oceans and fight climate change but we are still yet to see some moves in the right direction from U.S. side. So far it has been all talks and very little action, not only in U.S. but in other developed countries as well. This will definitely have to change, and developed countries will have to show more commitment to this cause. Oceans will be helped the most if rich countries make big CO2 cuts, and this is something these countries are still reluctant to do.

Seas absorbing less CO2 because of global warming

Climate change and global warming have yet another negative impact on our seas, namely by reducing their ability to absorb CO2. According to latest study led by Kitack Lee, an associate professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology there is a sudden and dramatic collapse in the amount of carbon emissions absorbed by the Sea of Japan. Study authors believe that this could also affect CO2 uptake in the Atlantic and Southern oceans.

This happens because the warmer conditions disrupt a process known as "ventilation" - the way seawater flows and mixes and drags absorbed CO2 from surface waters to the depths. Disruption of ventilation process decreases the uptake rate of CO2. Oceans and seas absorb around one quarter of total CO2, and every slight decrease in absorption process will cause much more CO2 in the atmosphere, opening door to a much higher temperatures in years to come.

Seas absorbing less CO2 because of disruption in "ventilation process"

The more CO2 gets absorbed by our seas the less of it will end up in the atmosphere, so every weakening of "ventilation" process gives another boost to already huge global warming problem. "Ventilation problem" in Sea of Japan is becoming a serious problem. Samples that were taken in period from 1999-2007 compared to the ones taken in period from 1992 to 1999 show that present samples had only half the level of dissolved CO2 in the seawater compared to previous ones. Same thing threatens all our oceans and seas.