According to a new paper by OSU professor Jane Lubchenco, ocean-based activities have significant potential to help reach the 1.5-degree Celsius target by 2050. The report analyzes five categories of ocean-based solutions to reduce emissions, including renewable energy and protecting marine ecosystems.
Acting on ocean-focused emissions activities can significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The implementation of changes in research, technology, and policy development could lead to a substantial reduction in global emissions by nearly 11 billion tons in 2050.
A new study by MBL and BIOS scientists found that hurricanes like Nicole significantly affect the ocean's biological pump, accelerating the transfer of carbon from surface to deeper ocean layers. This boost provides a crucial source of food for marine life in the deep ocean.
Researchers found that as the Indian Ocean warms, it generates additional precipitation, drawing air from other parts of the world to dilute its salinity. This results in saltier water in the Atlantic Ocean, which accelerates its circulation, providing a potential 'jump-start' for the AMOC.
Scientists have discovered a day-night rhythm in sulfonate metabolism, reflecting the activity of photosynthetic organisms in the open ocean. The study uses phytoplankton and ocean bacteria to track sulfur-based metabolism, providing insights into the global carbon cycle.
Researchers found that phosphate levels in the surface ocean are less abundant than previously thought, using high-sensitivity measurements. This new data improves ocean models' ability to predict climate change impacts on oceans and their ecosystems.
Researchers discovered that Asian dust brings nutrients to the ocean, affecting plankton growth and nutrient availability. The study confirms how tightly coupled plankton biology is to iron supply from the atmosphere, highlighting the need for considering atmospheric and ocean circulation variability in forecasting climate change impacts.
Research reveals that horizontal and vertical circulation of carbon-rich ocean water in the subpolar Southern Ocean work together to control carbon storage and release. The study found that large gyres, such as the Weddell Gyre, play a key role in transporting carbon-containing phytoplankton out of the region.
A UCI-led team has created the first high-resolution map of ocean surface phosphate, showing that marine phytoplankton are more resilient to nutrient stress than previously believed. This finding holds important implications for climate change predictions, as plankton communities can thrive even in nutrient-deficient environments.
A new study reveals that biological processes in the polar Southern Ocean are the key drivers of carbon dioxide absorption, challenging existing assumptions. This finding has significant implications for understanding past and future climate change.
A Rutgers-led study reveals a nearly five-fold increase in carbon dioxide absorption by surface waters off the West Antarctic Peninsula during summertime. Climate change is altering the Southern Ocean's ability to absorb CO2, which could magnify warming worldwide.
A new study reveals that ocean acidification is negatively affecting diatoms, a key group of microscopic marine organisms responsible for 40% of ocean productivity. The loss of silica production and sinking ability could lead to reduced atmospheric CO2 removal and storage in the deep ocean.
A new study has found that Atlantic coccolithophores are surprisingly scarce in fertile equatorial waters, despite being abundant in subpolar and temperate regions. This discovery sheds light on the inner workings of the ocean carbon cycle and raises questions about the impact of coccolithophore populations on global productivity.
A new study published in Nature Climate Change offers a roadmap for detecting changes in the ocean due to climate change. The research found that sea temperature rise and ocean acidification have already emerged, while other impacts such as changes in ocean microbes will take several decades to a century to appear.
A new study by the University of California, Davis, reveals that climate change could lead to a significant decline in oyster habitats in California bays. The research found that changes in dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature, and salinity would have a greater impact on oyster growth than ocean acidification.
A University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science-led research cruise is exploring the marine carbon cycle in the deep Atlantic Ocean. Scientists are analyzing bacterial diversity and function to better understand how cyanobacteria contribute to the process.
A record-breaking South American drought and marine heatwave in 2013/14 were caused by strong atmospheric convection over the Indian Ocean. The event displaced normal atmospheric circulation over South America, leading to extreme weather conditions and severe impacts on agriculture, public health, and fisheries.
A global evolutionary regime shift around 170 million years ago changed the success of organisms living in the ocean. Biological factors such as predator-prey relationships became increasingly important after the emergence of calcium carbonate-secreting plankton, stabilizing ocean chemistry and enabling diverse marine life.
The Exploring Ocean Worlds project aims to determine the potential of ocean worlds to harbor life, focusing on Europa and Enceladus. A new Network for Ocean Worlds will facilitate nationwide research coordination.
Research found that ocean water exposure can alter the diversity and composition of human skin microbiome, leaving individuals more susceptible to infections. Vibrio species were detected on every participant after swimming, with a significant affinity for attachment to human skin.
Adrift visualizes the conditions faced by drifting marine microbes, providing clues about their capacity to adapt to human-induced changes. The online platform engages citizens and researchers in exploring ocean's unseen heroes.
Researchers at Stanford University discovered an aquatic highway that lets nutrients from Earth's belly reach surface waters off Antarctica, stimulating explosive growth of microscopic ocean algae. Hydrothermal vents may affect life near the ocean's surface and global carbon cycle more than previously thought.
Climate change is speeding up Alaska sockeye salmon's growth rate in freshwater, causing them to migrate to the ocean faster. However, this shift may not benefit the species long-term, as it takes an extra year at sea, where they face increased competition with hatchery-raised salmon.
Dr. Lindstrom's leadership in combining space and in-situ systems has facilitated large ocean field campaigns, while fostering international collaborations to study the ocean's role in the global climate system. He has also supported early career scientists through initiatives like MPOWIR.
A new ocean climatology reveals the global ocean is warming due to changes in atmospheric conditions, with temperatures increasing by 0.05°C over the past 25 years. The study provides valuable background information for various applications and highlights the importance of periodic updates to ocean climatologies.
A new study finds radioactive carbon from nuclear bomb tests has reached the deepest parts of the ocean, contaminating crustaceans' muscle tissues and affecting their longevity. The study suggests human pollution can quickly enter the food web and make its way to the deep ocean.
Researchers found an ocean heat-transporting mechanism controlling the monsoon's intensity. The mechanism strengthens the monsoon when winds drive south-flowing waters that cool the ocean.
The Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute will survey an estimated 3 billion acres of US ocean territory over five years, utilizing next-generation instruments like ROVs and AUVs. The institute's telepresence technology will allow the public to interact with scientists in real-time, improving the efficiency of ocean exploration.
The Arctic Ocean's seasonal memory mechanism explains how atmospheric circulation causes the Eurasian Arctic to melt faster than the American Arctic. The researchers found that different seasonal patterns are at play depending on region, with the Eurasian Arctic losing ice in winter and the American Arctic only losing ice in summer.
A global survey of ocean viruses has identified nearly 200,000 species, exceeding prior estimates by 13,000. The findings have significant implications for understanding climate change, evolution, and the impact of microorganisms on the atmosphere.
Researchers analyzed wind speed and wave height measurements from satellites and ocean buoys to find extreme winds increasing by 8% and waves by 5% in the Southern Ocean over the past 30 years. This increase has significant implications for rising sea levels and coastal flooding.
A new paper outlines critical mechanisms involved in the ocean carbon cycle, specifically the biological pump. Researchers found that particle injection pumps are a more efficient way of pulling carbon from the surface into the deep waters.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports reveals a vast diversity of ocean microbes called protists, which form complex relationships with other members of the microbial food web. The research team analyzed over 900 single cell genomes, documenting genetic code that had never been identified before.
Researchers aim to refine understanding of how carbon moves in the ocean by studying lesser-known mechanisms such as particle injection pumps. These processes, including vertical migration and subduction, are thought to sequester significant amounts of carbon, rivaling the biological gravitational pump.
A new study proposes using iron powder produced by bacteria to stimulate growth of phytoplankton in the ocean, which can help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This approach aims to supplement decreasing carbon emissions and mitigate climate change by fertilizing microscopic ocean plants.
A global team of scientists has measured the ocean's sink for man-made CO2 over a period of 13 years, finding that it takes up 34 gigatonnes between 1994 and 2007. The absorption rate is congruent with the increase in atmospheric CO2 levels.
Scientists have found a new way for microorganisms to convert nitrogen into a form usable by organisms in the Arctic Ocean. This process, known as nitrogen fixation, could make phytoplankton more productive, ultimately decreasing atmospheric carbon levels.
A new study forecasts that ocean acidification will reduce the depth at which some shelled organisms can survive to just 83 meters by 2100. This drastic reduction in viable habitat could impact marine food webs significantly and lead to cascading changes across ocean ecosystems.
Researchers from Leipzig's TROPOS Institute are part of a Spanish Antarctic expedition investigating the influence of sugar compounds on cloud formation above the ocean. The team aims to understand feedback mechanisms that influence climate change, with implications for ecosystems in polar regions.
The 2018 ocean heat content observations reveal the highest recorded temperature for the global ocean since the 1950s. This increase in heat content is ~100 million times more than the Hiroshima bomb and highlights the consequences of global warming on oceanic water temperatures.
Researchers found a direct association between ocean warming and increased wave energy globally. The study revealed a long-term trend of growing wave energy, particularly during extreme storm seasons, with devastating impacts on coastal areas.
New research reveals ocean heat content is accelerating, with 2018 likely the hottest year on record. The warming contributes to sea level rise, increased rainfall intensity, and stronger storms.
Recent ocean heating observations provide further evidence that global warming is accelerating, with the top 2,000 meters of oceans predicted to rise 0.78 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, contributing to sea level rise and extreme weather events.
The study examines how ocean acidification affects iron availability to phytoplankton, a critical nutrient for marine productivity. Researchers aim to develop proxies for quantifying iron availability under present and future ocean acidification conditions.
A century and a half of reconstructed ocean warming offers insights into the Earth system's energy balance. The study suggests that global warming of the oceans has occurred over the past 150 years, with comparable warming patterns observed in the 1920s-1940s and 1990s-2015.
A new study reconstructs ocean heat storage since 1871, revealing key changes in temperature history and circulation patterns. The findings suggest that up to half of mid-latitude Atlantic Ocean warming can be attributed to changes in ocean circulation since the 1950s.
Researchers found that the deep Pacific Ocean is cooling due to historical climate variability, influencing modern warming trends. The discovery estimates a 30% downward revision of heat absorbed over the 20th century.
Researchers found that the deep Pacific Ocean lags behind in terms of temperature and is still adjusting to the Little Ice Age. The ocean's long memory indicates that it 'remembers' past climate conditions hundreds of years ago.
Researchers are working to understand subseafloor microbial communities and their potential impact on Earth's biosphere. They've discovered that microbes living in deep ocean sediments may represent as much as one-third of Earth's total biomass, with the habitable part of the ocean crust potentially being 10 times greater.
A new study reveals that the Indian Ocean played a far greater role in driving climate change during the last ice age and may disrupt climate again in the future. The research found that changes in ocean temperatures and winds drove radical climate shifts, challenging Pacific-centric theories.
A study by researchers from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences found that mussels readily take in microplastic fibers but quickly flush most of them out. This suggests that marine animals may play a role in mitigating the impact of microplastics on ecosystems.
Researchers at the University of Delaware have found a previously unknown pathway for heat to travel from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, bypassing the Indonesian Throughflow. This discovery has significant implications for climate change research and could inform scientists about global warming.
Researchers have discovered that adult Antarctic krill are largely unaffected by ocean acidification levels predicted within the next 100-300 years. The long-term laboratory study found that krill can survive, grow and mature in acidic conditions.
The US Navy's Task Force Ocean aims to advance its tactical advantage through better understanding of the ocean environment. The initiative will increase research funding and sponsor graduate students and post-doctorates in physical oceanography and acoustics.
The ocean floor is dissolving rapidly as a result of human activity, with calcite formation being neutralized by acidic CO2. Researchers predict that this process will intensify in the future, leading to long-lasting repercussions on marine ecosystems.
Scientists have discovered that westerly winds strengthen ocean acidification in Southern Ocean, which is critical for predicting its impact on marine life. The study sheds light on the mechanisms driving this process and provides insights into improving prediction models.
The study assesses 13 ocean-based measures to reduce atmospheric CO2, counteract ocean warming, and mitigate sea-level rise. Ocean-based renewable energy stands out as the most promising solution, with moderate effectiveness for reducing marine pollution and protecting marine habitats.
The Ocean Solutions Initiative presents a comprehensive review of thirteen ocean-based measures to counter climate change. The measures can be grouped into four categories: reduction of climate change causes, preservation of ecosystems, protection of the ocean from solar radiation, and direct manipulation of species adaptability.
The new global marine environmental forecasting system will provide accurate predictions of ocean temperature, salinity, velocity, and tidal currents with a horizontal resolution of 10 km. The system's accuracy is expected to reach an advanced international level, enabling clear identification of ocean mesoscale phenomena.
A new model predicts that ocean acidification could reduce the US sea scallop population by more than 50% in 30 to 80 years, but proactive climate policy may mitigate this impact. The study combines four major factors, including future climate change scenarios, ocean acidification impacts, fisheries management policies, and fuel costs.