CLIMATE AND OCEAN

OCEAN WARMING- A MAJOR CAUSE OF CONCERN FOR HUMANITY

Three- fourths of our planet Earth is covered with water. But we have misused it like every resource that planet earth has given us. We misuse waste resources, our lifestyle is not eco-friendly and the result is increase of green-house emissions.

• As humans continue to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, our oceans have also felt the effect.

• More than 90 percent of the heat from these gases that have been absorbed by the world's water bodies is taking a toll on our oceans.

• The oceans absorb a majority of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions which lead to the rise in ocean temperatures.

• Increasing ocean temperatures affect marine life .

• Rising ocean temperatures also affect the benefits humans derive from the ocean – increases the outbreak of diseases due to polluted water and marine life which is ingesting plastics and causing more extreme weather events like hurricanes and floods.

• This change will adversely affect many islands like Tuvalu, Maldives, Lakshadweep and even cities like Shanghai which might actually submerge within a few decades.

• Due to the climate change , the changes in ocean temperatures and currents will lead to alterations in climate patterns across the globe and endanger the life of millions of people.

• It is urgent that we promote the use of renewable energy, stop burning fossil fuels and take effective measures to reduce the impact of global warming.
-By Sarah Malik (SMSMB)
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN POLLUTION

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Oceans play a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate. The oceans act as a massive carbon sink which protects us from the worst climate change. Oceans today absorb about one-third of the carbon dioxide humans send into the atmosphere, about 22 million tons a day. Nowadays due to such a rise in pollution levels and rise in greenhouse emissions, the oceans are being adversely affected. These greenhouse emissions cause Global Warming which is a matter of great concern. This global warming affects the whole marine life abominably. CO2 emissions are making the ocean more acidic, making many marine species and ecosystems increasingly vulnerable. The Fifth Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2013 revealed that the oceans have so far absorbed 93% of the extra energy from the enhanced greenhouse effect, with warming now being observed at depths of 1,000 m. As a consequence, this has led to increased ocean stratification (prevention of water mixing due to different properties of water masses), changes in ocean current regimes, and expansion of depleted oxygen zones in the oceans. Rising sea temperatures are to blame for “coral bleaching”. When the water is too warm ,the corals expel the algae living in their tissues and turn white. As early as 1990, coral reef expert Tom Goreau pointed out that mass coral bleaching events observed during the 1980’s were probably due to anomalously warm temperatures related to climate change. It’s now evident that many coral reefs, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, are dying. Mass coral bleaching results in the starvation, shrinkage and death of the corals that support the thousands of species that live on coral reefs. Coral reefs are particularly sensitive to increase in temperature. New researches show that oceans are now experiencing longer and more severe “marine heat waves” that could push even more ocean animals and ecosystems to their limits. Due to these Greenhouse Emissions, the Earth’s atmosphere is getting warmer and warmer each and every day. Atmospheric warming is leading to the melting of inland glaciers and ice, causing rising sea levels with significant impacts on shorelines (coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, habitat destruction) and coastal human settlement. The warming of the oceans compel the fish to move towards the poles disrupting fisheries around the world. As the atmosphere warms, NASA has observed that sea levels are rising. Water expands as it gets warmer. So, warm water takes up more room in our oceans, and this leads to higher sea levels. Another reason that oceans are rising is due to melting ice on land. Glaciers and ice sheets are large masses of ice that sit on the land. As our planet warms, this ice melts and flows into the oceans. More water in the oceans makes sea level higher. When carbon dioxide (CO2)is absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically important calcium carbonate minerals. These chemical reactions are termed "ocean acidification". Higher acidity is damaging many ocean species that use calcium carbonate to form their skeletons and shells. Studies have shown that calcium carbonate formation is disrupted if water becomes too acidic. Ocean acidification also appears to be affecting whole ecosystems, such as coral reefs, which depend on the formation of calcium carbonate to build reef structure, which in turn provides homes for reef organisms. Ocean acidification can also change the behavior of fish. Recent research has shown that some fish are less able to detect predators in waters that are more acidic. What can we do to protect our oceans? We can perform various steps to protect our oceans: We should reduce our Carbon Footprint by reducing the consumption of meat we should educate people about the adverse effects of climate change over oceans. This way our oceans will be beautiful and fantastic once again.

-By Saksham Gupta (SMSMB)

-By Kyna Kohli (SMSMB)

-By Sarah Malik (SMSMB)

THE INFLUENCE OF THE OCEAN AND WEATHER ON THE CLIMATE

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Because of the ocean's close relationship with the atmosphere, knowing its behavior is critical for forecasting weather and climate conditions. Due to the ocean's close relationship with the atmosphere, knowing its behavior is critical for forecasting weather and climate conditions. The ocean absorbs most of the solar energy that reaches the Earth. Because the Equator receives far more solar energy than the Poles, massive horizontal and vertical ocean currents arise and distribute heat across the earth.

Some of these currents transport heat for thousands of kilometers before returning a large portion of it to the atmosphere. Because the water heats and cools more slowly than the atmosphere, coastal weather is more temperate than continental weather, with fewer hot and cold extremes. Most rain clouds are formed by evaporation from the ocean, particularly in the tropics, and influence the position of wet and dry zones on land.

The vast quantity of energy gathered by the ocean produces the world's most powerful and destructive storms, as well as extreme phenomena such as cyclones (including tropical and extra-tropical).

Over 90% of the excess heat trapped on Earth by human carbon emissions is stored in the ocean; just about 2.3 percent warms the atmosphere, while the remainder melts snow and ice and heats the land. As a result, the atmosphere is warming at a slower rate than it would otherwise.

However, we should not be lulled into inactivity since ocean warming just delays the full consequences of climate change. Excess heat contributes to sea-level rise through thermal expansion, anoxic (no oxygen) ocean regions, melting sea ice, marine heatwaves, coral bleaching, and other hostile situations for marine life.

Over the next several millennia, much of the newly absorbed heat from the ocean will inexorably leak into the atmosphere. Ocean observations and knowledge of how ocean-atmosphere interactions shape weather, seasonal and long-term climate, and ocean patterns are combined with observations of temperature (atmospheric and sea surface), atmospheric pressure, wind, waves, precipitation, and other variables by weather forecasters. These data sources, when combined, form critical input into linked Numerical Weather and Climate Prediction models. As a result, the WMO community has a significant stake in promoting ocean observations, research, and services.

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-By Parnika Sneha (SMSMB)

Marine Protected Areas

The Oceans account for 70% of the world's land and are responsible for 80% of planet's biodiversity. Due to our continuous inhumane actions , now it is needed to protect our oceans from ourselves only.

Marine Protected Areas also called the MPA"s are protected areas of oceans, seas, estuaries and even the the Great lakes. These are dedicated to the conservation of habitat, species as well as the resources. These are managed by some legal or other effective means.

Marae Moana also known as Cook Island's Matine Park, is a multiple use marine protected area. It covers 1.9 million square kilometers. It was inaugarated on 13 July 2017.

Kevin Iro, who is an environmentalist, first proposed the idea. It was made when the parliament of the Cook Islands, passed a bill for creating the largest marine multi purpose marine protected area of its time.

Some Notable Marine Protected Areas are:

▪︎The Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary in the seas of Italy, Monaco and France

▪︎The Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys, USA.

▪︎The Papahānaumokuakea Marine National Monument,Hawaii.

▪︎The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, Kiribati.

▪︎The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in California, USA.

It is the need of the hour for us to

"THINK BLUE AND GO GREEN"

-By Janhwee Thapliyal(SMSMB)

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