The 2015-2016 El Niño event was characterized by warmer ocean temperatures in the Pacific, with blue regions representing colder and red regions warmer temperatures. The El Niño-inducing westerlies caused eastward currents to occur in pulses.
A new study reveals that ocean currents affect how climate change impacts species' distributions, leading to changes in ecosystems and human health implications. Species expand their range faster when ocean currents match the direction of warming.
Marine microorganisms rely on iron to recycle dead matter and release nutrients such as phosphorus. This process is crucial in the tropical North Atlantic, where nitrogen limitation may be replaced by phosphorus limitation, influenced by human activities.
Researchers discover that cultured picocyanobacteria, such as Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, release fluorescent components that closely match the typical signals found in oceanic environments. This finding sheds light on the origin of colored dissolved organic matter in the deep ocean.
Researchers found that high CO2 levels boost production at different levels of the food web, but ocean warming causes stress to marine animals, preventing them from efficiently using increased resources. This led to a collapse of the food web. The study suggests that ocean warming will be an overwhelming stressor for marine ecosystems.
A study published in Science finds that rising carbon dioxide levels and ocean acidity can hinder the functioning of Trichodesmium cyanobacteria, a key process for nitrogen fixation. This could have significant effects on marine ecosystems and food webs.
A recent study reveals that cold-water corals can thrive in warmer temperatures, but are harmed by ocean acidification. The research, conducted at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, found that elevated temperatures can compensate for the negative effects of acidification on coral growth and fitness.
The eastern Arctic Ocean is exhibiting vertical mixing similar to the Atlantic Ocean, leading to record-breaking losses of sea ice in summers. The changes have substantial impacts on the Arctic Ocean system, including enhanced atmosphere-ocean interactions and altered freshwater storage patterns.
The new study reconstructs historical ocean subsurface temperature change with improved accuracy, revealing larger ocean energy accumulation and increased confidence in climate change assessments. This advances our understanding of global warming driven by the Earth's energy imbalance.
Scientists have identified a mechanism by which deep waters may rise to the surface through turbulence generated by underwater topographic features. This finding could help estimate how long the ocean stores carbon in its deepest regions before returning it to the surface.
Researchers report rapid expansion of ocean acidification in the western Arctic Ocean, with waters becoming more acidic and extending deeper. This phenomenon threatens marine life, including clams, mussels, and pteropods, which are crucial to the diet of salmon and herring.
A recent study found that massive warm-water eddies in the Caribbean Sea contribute to intense hurricanes like Matthew. The research team measured ocean temperature, salinity, and currents to better understand these oceanic features.
Researchers found that local atmospheric conditions and ocean circulation are the main drivers of ocean temperature changes in the critical depth range, leading to increased melting. The study used a five-year record to track the interactions between ocean and atmosphere, revealing an annual cycle in heat exchange that drives melting.
Researchers confirm that the floating ice shelf is strongly coupled to the ocean below and Nares Strait, with temperatures changing with seasons and tides. Temperature data shows warming of ocean water at an average rate of 0.03 degrees Celsius per year, consistent with adjacent studies.
The study reveals that the ocean's oxygen content has decreased by more than 2% over the last 50 years due to global warming. This decrease can have far-reaching biological consequences for marine life, particularly large fish species.
Ocean absorbing more carbon dioxide reduces atmospheric greenhouse gas levels, but promotes acidification in marine organisms. A study by UC Santa Barbara geographer Timothy DeVries and colleagues found that a slowdown of the ocean's overturning circulation is likely the cause.
Researchers have discovered that geostrophic balance becomes invalid at smaller scales, making sea level data unreliable for calculating ocean circulation. At high resolution, sea level can accurately calculate circulation in areas with persistent eddies, but not in areas dominated by internal waves.
A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reveals that Antarctic Bottom Water has freshened at an unexpected rate between 2007 and 2016, potentially altering ocean circulation and contributing to sea level rise. The researchers hypothesize that a recent landscape-changing event may be responsible for the shift.
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have developed underwater robots that mimic the movement of plankton to study ocean currents and marine life. The robotic plankton, also known as M-AUEs, were deployed in a swarm to capture a three-dimensional view of the interactions between ocean currents and marine life.
A new study by Nereus Program researchers found that climate change will affect energy flows in ocean ecosystems, leading to decreased fish catch in some areas. The authors used a mathematical model to explore the processes that mediate the transfer of energy from phytoplankton growth to fish growth.
A Florida State University researcher investigated how carbon moves from the ocean surface to greater depths and remains there for hundreds of years. The study found that certain areas of the sea, particularly fronts where temperature or salinity changes, act as giant conduits moving carbon to deeper depths.
A new study led by Colorado State University suggests that a shift in the Southern Annular Mode, similar to El Nino, can lead to stronger ocean waves and the collapse of ice shelves. The research found that reduced sea ice cover allows ocean waves to directly impact ice shelves, enhancing surface melting and weakening ice shelves.
A landmark global scale study found that populations at the northern and southern range edges are most sensitive to ocean acidification, leading to reduced growth and genetic diversity. The research provides insights into how ocean acidification will shape species' distributions in the future.
A recent study suggests that warmer oceans and increased rainfall will lead to more intense typhoons in the western Pacific. The research found that a lack of ocean water mixing, caused by freshwater from increased rainfall, can increase storm intensity.
A mesocosm experiment revealed that ocean acidification impairs the calcifying phytoplankton species Emiliania huxleyi's ability to form blooms, leading to reduced population size and flux of organic matter. This has strong impacts on the ecosystem, including reduced sinking of organic matter and altered climate feedbacks.
Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are developing a new method to track ocean heat using satellite magnetic field observations. The approach relies on the electrical conductivity of seawater and its temperature fluctuations, which can be detected from subtle changes in Earth's magnetic field lines.
Researchers have developed a new method to track ocean temperature changes using internal tidal waves, which can be detected through satellite data. This approach is cheaper and more reliable than existing methods, allowing for long-term monitoring of ocean warming without harming marine mammals.
A subsurface ocean of water ice may lie beneath Pluto's heart-shaped region, aligning almost exactly opposite its moon Charon. The existence of this ocean solves a longstanding puzzle and provides an explanation for the planet's gravitational tug-of-war with its moon.
A new study by University of Miami researchers found that the Agulhas Current, a major Indian Ocean current, has broadened since the early 1990s due to increased turbulence from intensifying winds. This widening of the current has significant implications for global climate change and ocean heat transport.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) should include ocean variability and regional projections in its reports to better understand the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Experts from the University of Bristol and Tasmania recommend incorporating local stressors and regional projections into policy decisions.
A new study by the University of Texas at Austin reveals that seabed microbes in the Arctic Ocean remove substantial quantities of nitrogen, accounting for 5% of global ocean nitrogen removal. The finding highlights the critical role of the Arctic in maintaining a balanced global nitrogen budget.
Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School used data from international scientific cruises to map the distribution of dissolved organic carbon in the Atlantic Ocean. They found that one third of global ocean net production comes from this basin, with nutrient arrival predicting DOC production.
The University of New Hampshire will study ocean ecosystems using underwater acoustic technology in the mid- and south Atlantic Ocean. The research aims to understand patterns and trends in regional ocean soundscapes and processes, including climate change.
The ocean sunfish's unusually fast growth rate and large size may be attributed to altered genes that control growth hormone signalling. The fish's skeleton is largely made of cartilage, a trait that could provide insights into its development.
The report highlights detectable scientific evidence of ocean warming's impact on marine life, from microorganisms to mammals. Ocean warming is causing increased disease in plant and animal populations, impacting human health as pathogens spread more easily in warmer waters.
A recent study reveals that the expansion of Antarctic sea ice has caused a significant freshening of the Southern Ocean. The increased freshwater flux from the sea-ice conveyor belt explains the observed salinity changes in the region.
A team of scientists used a state-of-the-art computer model to test Charles Darwin's hypothesis that marine species cannot cross the Eastern Pacific's 'impassable' marine barrier. The study found that even under extreme El Niño conditions, coral larvae could not survive long enough to make the trip across the ocean.
A new study shows that climate change impacts seawater chemistry, reducing sperm performance in sea urchins and changing the rules of sperm competition. This could affect the outcome when rival males compete to fertilize eggs, impacting marine species survival.
A laboratory study reveals that rising water temperatures have a more significant impact on copepods than ocean acidification, affecting their body size and fatty acid content. The study suggests that food webs will deteriorate due to decreased food quality.
Scientists tested Emiliania huxleyi's ability to adapt to ocean acidification over four years, finding limited growth rate improvement despite genetic identity. The study revealed that evolution amplifies negative effects on calcification, while adapted populations can still form calcium carbonate platelets under current CO2 conditions.
A University of Washington team has sequenced the genome of a key ocean microbe, revealing its surprising role in removing life-supporting nitrogen from the water. The findings provide new insights into how these microbes interact and carry out fundamental processes in the ocean, particularly in deep, low-oxygen waters.
The ocean's slow circulation rate allowed it to store more carbon for longer periods than previously thought. This process released carbon into the deep ocean, where it was trapped due to slow circulation and eventually dissolved, storing large amounts of CO2 for thousands of years.
A 94-million-year-old climate event led to a decline in essential trace metals, affecting ocean life and potentially causing larger dead zones. This ancient shift may hold insights into future climate change scenarios.
The KORUS-OC expedition will study the daily changes of the seas surrounding South Korea, focusing on phytoplankton and their role in Earth's carbon cycle. The research aims to better understand how oxygen and carbon flow between the ocean and atmosphere.
A new study by Georgia Tech researchers shows that air pollution from East Asia has a devastating impact on oxygen levels in tropical waters. The pollutants kick off a chain reaction contributing to falling oxygen levels thousands of miles away.
A new study led by NCAR scientist Matthew Long finds that ocean deoxygenation caused by climate change will become detectable between 2030 and 2040, posing a major threat to marine life. The researchers used the Community Earth System Model to quantify large-scale changes in oxygen in the oceans.
Current measurement methods may underestimate the amount of plastic in oceans due to turbulent mixing. Researchers found that surface heating and ocean currents mix plastics deeper into the water column.
Using satellite data and subsurface observations, researchers aim to better understand the ocean's biological carbon pump and its response to climate change. The study's findings have significant implications for predicting CO2 levels and understanding the Earth's climate.
Researchers map phytoplankton blooms using NASA satellite data, revealing El Nino's effect on the marine food web. Phytoplankton populations drop during El Nino events due to disrupted upwelling, impacting fisheries and fish populations.
A 20-member scientific panel warns that increases in global carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying waters of the North American West Coast at an accelerating rate, with severe ecological consequences anticipated. The panel recommends a coordinated regional management strategy to mitigate the impacts of ocean acidification.
Researchers used foraminifera, tiny ocean dwellers, to reconstruct past oxygen levels and determine how much carbon dioxide was stored in the oceans during ice ages. The study provides insight into natural climate cycles and may help predict future environmental changes.
The article discusses a scientific plan developed by UCSB researchers to quantify present conditions in the ocean's carbon cycle and predict its future states. The plan, known as EXPORTS, combines modeling, satellite data, and field sampling to understand how carbon is processed by the world's oceans.
A study found that ocean acidification worsens during nighttime hours in tide pools along California's rocky coast. The increasing acidity harms calcifying organisms like mussels and oysters by dissolving their calcium carbonate shells and skeletons.
Researchers discover that warm ocean water is carving channels under Antarctica's ice shelves, weakening their stability. This process can lead to the disintegration of ice shelves, allowing more rapid ice flow into the ocean and increased rates of sea level rise.
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discover that phytoplankton, microscopic plant-like organisms, produce massive amounts of methanol in the ocean, rivaling or exceeding land-based production. This finding challenges previous thinking on oceanic methanol sources and has implications for biofuel applications.
A UCSB biologist and colleagues used satellite data on fishing to help protect ocean biodiversity. They analyzed billions of vessel data points to assess the effectiveness of new marine parks in stopping illegal fishing. The researchers also created a global map of human use of high seas, paving the way for more effective management of...
A special issue on ocean acidification is published by ICES Journal of Marine Science, exploring various effects and interactions with other environmental drivers. The issue features studies with both negative and no significant effects, promoting a broader understanding of the complex mechanisms involved.
Researchers discovered intense deep-ocean turbulence in the equatorial Pacific that plays a crucial role in driving global ocean circulation. The study, published online in Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that this mixing can be simulated using computer models to improve future climate forecasts.
Fiamma Straneo has been chosen by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for the Sverdrup Lecture, a top honor in ocean sciences. Her research focuses on the role of high-latitude oceans in climate change and ice sheet dynamics.
A study has uncovered a complex planktonic network influencing the ocean's biological carbon pump, which removes carbon from the atmosphere. The research found that certain bacterial and viral genes predict variations in carbon export, enabling better predictions of climate change effects.