The Consequential Greening of Ocean Colors Amid Climate Crisis – Sea Change

Photo Source - Google

Over the past 20 years, an astounding 56% of the world's ocean surfaces have turned greener.

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We are affecting the ecosystem in a way that we haven’t seen before, warns B. B. Cael, the lead author of the study.

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This paradigm was shattered when trends began to emerge from just two decades of data gathered by MODIS, a sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite.

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One speculation is that warming ocean surfaces may be disrupting the distribution of nutrients, encouraging the growth of smaller, chlorophyll-rich phytoplankton over their larger counterparts.

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Cael suggests that, 'the colour tells us something about what’s happening in the ecosystem,' signifying a major reshuffling of marine biodiversity.

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Despite the clear changes in ocean color, the researchers caution against hastily attributing these transformations to climate change.

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Scheduled for a 2024 launch, PACE will provide hyperspectral imaging, enabling researchers to study the ocean's color at many more wavelengths than ever before.

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The transformation of the world's oceans opens a new chapter in our understanding of the Earth's climate system.

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