Earth’s oceans are changing color due to climate change

The strange changes in the color of the ocean have stimulated the investigations of scientists.

Satellite data shows that, in the last 20 years, color changes from blue to green have occurred in 56% of the world’s oceans. The changes are particularly evident in tropical regions near the equator.

The researchers say this subtle greening of our oceans points to the effect climate change is having on life underwater.

Why does the ocean turn green?

NASA’s Modis-Aqua satellite detected a gradual shift from blue to predominantly green hues in more than half of the world’s oceans. The area that has changed color is larger than the entirety of the land on Earth.

BB Cael of the National Oceanography Center in Southampton, UK, and colleagues analyzed NASA data and believe the color green is a sign of ecosystems changing due to climate change.

What these changes are and the exact cause are not confirmed, but BB Cael says it is likely related to the creatures at the bottom of most food chains: phytoplankton. These organisms also play a vital role in the production of much of the oxygen we breathe and stabilizing our atmosphere.

“The effects of climate change are already being felt in the surface marine microbial ecosystem,” the study notes.

Color-changing oceans could indicate a bigger problem

TO change in color of the ocean could reflect a change in the state of its ecosystems, according to the study authors. Deep blue indicates less life, while greener tones indicate more phytoplankton activity.

It paints a picture of what is happening in the surface layers of the water.

But the color of the ocean it can change from year to year with wildly varying surface chlorophyll levels. It makes it difficult to differentiate whether the change from blue to green is affected by climate change.

Scientists They thought it could take up to 40 years of ocean color tracking before any trends were detected. Different satellites also measure color changes in different ways. It means that the data from each other often cannot be combined.

To delve into the changing colors of the ocean, a NASA mission called Pace is scheduled to launch in January 2024. It will monitor plankton, aerosols, clouds, and the ocean ecosystem.