A recent study published in Nature found that carbon stored in an isolated reservoir deep in the Southern Ocean re-connected with the atmosphere, driving a rise in atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures. This process is crucial in understanding how the ocean affects the carbon cycle and climate change.
Researchers found that a massive release of carbon dioxide from the ocean during the last ice age warmed the planet and ended the glacial period. The study, published in Nature, suggests that natural variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide are linked to carbon stored in oceans.
A study published in Nature shows that a release of carbon dioxide from the deep Southern Ocean helped bring an end to the last Ice Age. The finding provides insight into how oceanic carbon storage affects climate change.
ORCA will study microscopic phytoplankton and their impact on the carbon cycle, measuring chlorophyll concentrations and distinguishing between types of phytoplankton. The instrument's hyperspectral capability offers a range of bands to refine ocean observations.
A new analysis finds that ocean acidification could significantly impact up to 21-32% of calcifying marine species, including coral, clams, and sea urchins. This widespread impact could have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems worldwide, as these species provide essential nursery habitats and food sources for other marine organisms.
A new study by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reveals that the deep ocean is a major source of dissolved iron in the central Pacific Ocean. The research found that hydrothermal vents and sediments thousands of meters below the sea surface are the primary sources of iron, contradicting previous assumptions.
A study from the University of California, Davis reveals extreme oxygen loss in oceans around 10,000-17,000 years ago, coinciding with past global climate change. The findings suggest that modern oceans are moving into a state with no precedent in human history.
Researchers have discovered new microbes beneath the ocean crust that breathe sulfate, breaking down organic material and producing carbon dioxide. These microbes play a vital role in the global carbon cycle, which is being disrupted by human-made carbon dioxide emissions.
As ocean acidification research expands its scope, experts highlight the need for integrated assessments, considering multiple stressors and evolutionary adaptation. Laboratory experiments show that adaptation is possible, but its ability to keep pace with fast-changing ecosystems remains uncertain.
A new study attributes the global 'warming hiatus' to increased oceanic heat drawdown, particularly in the equatorial Pacific, North Atlantic, and Southern Ocean basins. The research reveals distinct mechanisms for each region, improving climate models' projections of future temperature changes.
A recent study by University of Southampton researchers found that ancient marine algae, such as coccolithophores, experienced reduced growth and skeletal structure changes in response to climate warming and ocean acidification during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The research provides a long-term perspective on the impa...
A recent study revealed a significant increase in anthropogenic nitrate levels in the North Pacific Ocean over the past 30 years, primarily due to enhanced atmospheric deposition. This shift in nutrient availability may favor certain marine organisms and alter the base of the marine food web.
The future ocean will be warmer, with reduced ice extent, higher sea levels, more acidic, and lower oxygen levels. Research must focus on understanding marine systems' responses to cumulative pressures.
Researchers find that climate change may affect the ratio of oxygen consumed to phosphorus released during organic matter respiration in the subsurface ocean. This shift could lead to more carbon being stored in the ocean, potentially offsetting the slowdown of the ocean's uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Phytoplankton in the open ocean are responsible for half of global oxygen production, but how they assimilate limited nutrients was unclear. A new framework describes how microbial biodiversity affects phytoplankton's ability to take up phosphorus, a key nutrient.
Researchers found a long-term pattern in salinity-driven sea level changes globally, with increases in the Pacific Ocean and decreases in the Atlantic. This salinity effect accounts for approximately 25% of total sea level change, emphasizing its importance in assessments.
A new study using coral samples from a remote Pacific island in Kiribati reveals the ocean has warmed over the last sixty years, priming it for stronger El Niáo events. This warming trend could have a major impact on Australia's weather, particularly during El Niáo events when warm waters move eastward and bring droughts.
Researchers used robotic ocean gliders to study the transport of warm water near the Antarctic coast, discovering that swirling ocean eddies play a key role in this process. The findings will aid in determining how rapidly ice is melting and contributing to rising ocean levels.
A new study reveals that iron fertilization in the Southern Ocean may reduce the biological carbon pump's ability to transport carbon dioxide into the deep ocean. This process, which draws carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the sea, is crucial for mitigating climate change.
A new Rutgers study published in Science found that ocean circulation plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate. The researchers discovered that changes in the deep ocean conveyor system around 2.7 million years ago led to global climate change, including the expansion of ice sheets and a significant drop in sea levels.
A study using satellite observations and climate models found that long-term ocean warming in the upper 700 meters has likely been underestimated. The researchers used a large suite of climate model simulations to estimate temperature changes, which suggests global ocean warming has been underestimated by 24-58%.
Phytoplankton are crucial for fish populations and Earth's carbon cycle, with a perpetual dance between predators and prey affecting their growth cycles. Tiny imbalances in this relationship cause massive phytoplankton blooms, impacting ocean productivity, fisheries, and carbon cycling.
Scientists from GEOMAR and Thünen Institute demonstrated Emiliania huxleyi's ability to adapt simultaneously to ocean acidification and warming. The study found no interference between adaptations, indicating high potential for evolutionary changes.
A team of researchers used a neutral evolution model to simulate the distribution of marine bacteria cells. They found that microbes evolve faster than the ocean can disperse them, resulting in dynamic biogeographic patterns. This study sheds light on how ocean microbes may respond to global climate change.
The $21 million SOCCOM program will create a biogeochemical and physical portrait of the Southern Ocean using hundreds of robotic floats deployed around Antarctica. The project aims to improve our understanding of the ocean's carbon, nutrient, and oxygen content, and its importance to Earth's climate systems.
The $21-million SOCCOM program will provide unprecedented year-round coverage of biogeochemistry in the Southern Ocean, enabling top scientists to work together on research that was not possible before. The initiative aims to improve our understanding of the Southern Ocean's importance to the Earth's carbon and climate systems.
The National Science Foundation has awarded new grants totaling $11.4 million to research the impact of ocean acidification on marine environments and organisms. Ocean acidification affects marine ecosystems, organisms' life histories, ocean food webs, and biogeochemical cycling.
Researchers have adapted a biomedical technique to study ocean organisms, identifying and measuring proteins to understand biochemical reactions. The study reveals how microbes respond to environmental cues and ecosystem changes over large regions.
Researchers have adapted a biomedical technique to study the ocean, revealing how single-celled marine organisms and ecosystems are operating. By measuring proteins, scientists can identify biochemical reactions happening within organisms and diagnose how the oceans respond to pollution and climate change.
A survey of scientists from 94 countries reveals the top research priorities for sustaining ocean health, including climate change's impact on plankton growth and ocean biodiversity. Social scientists highlight the need to better communicate science to policy-makers and the public as a key priority.
Research suggests climate change could reduce the size of extreme low-oxygen waters in the ocean. As trade winds weaken, nutrient-rich water percolates up from the deep sea, supporting marine life and oxygen levels.
Ocean acidification is driving changes in vital Alaskan waters, threatening commercial fisheries and subsistence way of life. Communities in southeast and southwest Alaska face the highest risk, with lower incomes and fewer employment opportunities making them more vulnerable.
A new study found that turbulent mixing in the deep waters of the Southern Ocean varies with surface eddy strength and possibly wind speeds, impacting global ocean circulation and climate. This insight will enable scientists to build better computer models predicting future climate change.
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found rapid changes in ocean temperature near glaciers, driven by fast ocean currents. The data suggests large and rapid fluctuations in submarine melt rates, contradicting the prevailing paradigm of freshwater input driving new water into the fjord.
Environmental scientists Drs Carol Turley and Phil Williamson and Professor Richard Thompson will discuss ocean acidification and plastic pollution at the US Department of State conference. They emphasize the urgent need for a coordinated, global approach to address these pressing issues.
The OCULLAR instrument can measure ocean color under low-light conditions, allowing scientists to monitor the health and chemistry of the oceans around the clock. This capability will enable researchers to study phytoplankton, microscopic ocean plants that form the base of the oceanic food web.
The Ocean Health Index assesses ocean health across 10 categories, with Brazil scoring lowest in Natural Products and Food Provision. The index provides a framework for strategic management of ocean resources, with opportunities for improvement identified in various states.
Researchers found that climate change is shrinking Antarctic Bottom Waters, a massive current that 'hides' heat and carbon from the atmosphere. This reduction in convection could lead to increased heat trapping in the deeper ocean, contributing to global warming.
The Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Deepwater Horizon oil spill model accurately predicted shoreline oil impact, utilizing Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). By combining satellite images with ocean circulation models, NRL developed BioCast to forecast water clarity and contaminant distribution.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed new statistical models to increase the accuracy of ocean forecasting. The models improved predictability of sea surface temperature extremes, wind fields, and plankton distribution, ultimately benefiting fisheries and ecosystems.
An international team of researchers found that deep winter mixing plays a crucial role in transporting iron to the surface, supporting phytoplankton growth and the aquatic food chain. The study highlights the unique aspects of the iron cycle and its sensitivity to climate changes.
A novel mechanistic model assesses the global ocean carbon export by incorporating the lifecycle of phytoplankton and zooplankton into a food-web-based approach. The researchers found that oceans are a central component in the global carbon cycle, with a mean global carbon export flux of 6 petagrams per year.
A study by McGill University researchers shows that climate change has led to a decrease in ocean salinity, creating a freshwater lid that prevents mixing with warm waters underneath. This has resulted in the suppression of naturally rare events like the Antarctic polynya and contributed to the shrinking of Antarctic Bottom Water.
A new study suggests that Atlantic deep water formation may be much more fragile than previously realised, with sudden and large reductions in the influence of these North Atlantic waters in the deep ocean. This could have widespread impacts on regional sea level, droughts, and ocean acidification under future climate change scenarios.
Growing industrialization threatens deep ocean ecosystems, which provide vital functions such as carbon sequestration. Experts urge a new 'stewardship mentality' to balance human needs with ecological impact, highlighting the need for international cooperation, regulation, and research funding to protect the world's last frontier.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that mesopelagic fish have a stock estimated at 10,000 million tons, surpassing previous estimates of 1,000 million tons. This discovery has significant implications for the understanding of carbon fluxes in the ocean and the operation of ocean deserts.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid ice loss, driven by ocean warming and increased surface melting. This phenomenon can lead to fresh water input into the North Atlantic Ocean, potentially disrupting global climate circulation patterns.
Marine scientists in Palau found corals living in acidic waters to be diverse and healthy, contradicting previous observations. The unique environment in Palau's Rock Islands is believed to provide a 'perfect storm' of conditions that allow corals to thrive.
A team of New York University scientists has found that the warming of the North and Tropical Atlantic Ocean is contributing to climate change in Antarctica. The study, published in Nature, reveals a previously unknown force behind Antarctic climate change.
A study reveals a shift in competitive dynamics among crustose coralline algae due to ocean acidification, altering biodiversity. The researchers found that the dominant species, Pseudolithophyllum muricatum, no longer enjoys its competitive advantage, likely due to lower pH levels recorded over the last 12 years.
Giant underwater waves, invisible to the eye, are produced by temperature and salinity differences in ocean water. These internal waves, resembling surface waves in shape, play a key role in mixing ocean waters, driving warm surface waters downward and drawing heat from the atmosphere.
Researchers used a new ocean model to simulate the migration of eel larvae from the Sargasso Sea to Europe. The study found that small-scale ocean currents play a crucial role in determining eel population fluctuations and that eels return to specific locations within the Sargasso Sea where their mother spawned.
A new analysis published in Nature suggests that the coastal ocean now takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases, potentially impacting global predictions related to climate change. Researchers propose a mechanism for the shift, which could make the coastal ocean a more important carbon sink in the future.
A University of Houston-led international expedition drilled into the lower crust of the Pacific Ocean, revealing new discoveries about the Earth's development. The team found substantial amounts of the mineral orthopyroxene in gabbros, challenging existing theories on the formation of the lower ocean crust.
A recent Arctic study reveals that tiny crustaceans, known as copepods, may not survive if ocean acidity rises due to increased CO2. Copepods with a wide natural habitat range are likely to be better equipped to handle the changes.
A German-Peruvian science team found that ocean eddies play a crucial role in distributing oxygen and nutrients in the oxygen minimum zones. This discovery helps improve model computations to predict future expansions of low-oxygen areas in the ocean, addressing the threat of ocean de-oxygenation.
Experts warn of substantial economic losses from ocean acidification, with declines in shellfisheries and tropical coral reefs expected. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions can slow acidification and protect some ecosystems.
Young salmon scatter in all directions after entering the ocean, contrary to previous assumptions that most head north immediately. The study provides critical insights into salmon behavior and factors influencing survival, such as water temperature and predator presence.
A new study reveals that the Pacific Ocean is absorbing heat at a rate 15 times faster than in the past 10,000 years. This surge in heat absorption may provide scientists with more time to address climate change but is not a solution, according to researchers.
Researchers quantify the extent of ancient oxygen-free and hydrogen sulfide-rich waters in the ocean during a major extinction event 93.9 million years ago. This discovery highlights the significant impact on ocean chemistry and biological activity, suggesting that even limited euxinia can have profound effects on marine life.