Marine Impacts of Climate Change
“Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most critical problems because its effects are globally pervasive and irreversible on ecological timescales. The primary direct consequences are increasing ocean temperatures [1] and acidity [2].
Climbing temperatures create a host of additional changes, such as rising sea level, increased ocean stratification, decreased sea-ice extent, and altered patterns of ocean circulation, precipitation, and freshwater input. In addition, both warming and altered ocean circulation act to reduce subsurface oxygen (O2) concentrations [3] In recent decades, the rates of change have been rapid and may exceed the current and potential future tolerances of many organisms to adapt. Further, the rates of physical and chemical change in marine ecosystems will almost certainly accelerate over the next several decades in the absence of immediate and dramatic efforts toward climate mitigation.”
See also...
References
- ↑ Bindoff, N.L., J. Willebrand, V. Artale, A, Cazenave, J. Gregory, S. Gulev, K. Hanawa, C. Le Quéré, S. Levitus, Y. Nojiri, C.K. Shum, L.D. Talley and A. Unnikrishnan, 2007: Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA
- ↑ [1] Doney,S. C., Fabry, V. J., Feely, R. A. and Kleypas J. A. (2009) Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem. Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci. 1:169–92
- ↑ Keeling, R. E., Kortzinger, A. and Gruber, N. (2010), Ocean deoxygenation in a warming world, Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci., 2, 199–229, doi:10.1146/annurev .marine.010908.163855.