Global Warming is Reducing Ocean Life, Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Say Scientists

[Barrett808]

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) – Alarming new satellite data show that the warming of the world's oceans is reducing ocean life while contributing to increased global warming.

The ocean's food chain is based upon the growth of billions upon billions of microscopic plants. New satellite data show that ocean warming is reducing these plants –– thus imperiling ocean fisheries and marine life, according to an article in the Nov. 7 issue of the scientific journal Nature.

"We show on a global scale that the growth of these plants, called phytoplankton, is strongly tied to changes in the warming of the ocean," said David Siegel, co-author and professor of marine science in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Siegel is also director of the Institute for Computational Earth System Science (ICESS).

"Phytoplankton grow faster in a cool ocean and slower in a warm one," said Siegel. "The scary part is that the oceans are warming now – probably caused by our emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide."

(more)

http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1528

The movie is amazing:

SeaWiFS data
http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/movies/163784main_a003387_320x240.mpeg

[DixieBlue]

1. I think NPR did a story about this this morning ...

Talking about how the oceans being bluer is NOT a good thing because that means plant life is dying off. I think the NPR story also talked about the acidity of the oceans. Yup, they did. Here's a link. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6591611

Scary shit, if you ask me.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. New Yorker magazine ran an excellent article a couple weeks back on this

It seems the oceans are absorbing most of the CO2 being released into the atmosphere.- so it is not staying in the air but going into the water.
The effect is that the most sensitive ocean creatures are dying first- namely coral reefs.
The coral reefs are the habitat of millions of creatures great and small, and on and on...
Significant impacts will be seen in about 40 years.

If you are interested....

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/061120fa_fact3

[0rganism]

2. a positive feedback loop -- exceedingly and imminently dangerous

I don't think we can stop this now, especially with bushco at the helm. Even with rational people in charge, we may be able to do little more than slow it down.

Time to relocate population from low elevations and start planning for a brave new world...

[halobeam]

3. K & R

[humbled_opinion]

5. I fear that my grandkids will never enjoy Alaskan King Crab et. al, sea delights n/t

[opihimoimoi]

6. Bushies refusal to aknowledge GW is astounding in light of prevailing information

He is the worst....by far....ignorant and Proud of it...the man hasn't a clue how he is fucking up this Planet...

he will go down in History as the biggest fool of all time...