According to scientists ‘continuously rising temperatures would soon cause the color of world’s oceans to turn more blue as the result of global warming and climate change.
The predictions are, high intensity of heat will change the composition of phytoplankton and thus marine species will absorb and reflect light at a faster pace. The consequence will be in the coming time, these species will get extinct and predictions are by 2100, more than 50% of world’s seas will change their colors and get more blue.
Phytoplankton is an important element in the oceans. It is also important for converting sunlight into chemical energy.
Also how ocean appears when we see through eyes is also driven by the amount of Phytoplankton. Thus, more quantity of phytoplankton, lesser the blue color in the sea and more of green shaded water.
According to a research, phytoplankton will reduce in ocean as a result of increasing global warming and high temperatures.
Dr Stephanie Dutkiewicz from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, US, told BBC News ‘What we see is that oceans will change their colors, probably it will not be visible through eyes, however sensors would easily catch that color has been changed.’ His words clearly depict that soon ecology of ocean will be changed and likely to get worse.
To work on this area, scientists have studied on measuring the amount of chlorophyll. It a light pigment present in Phytoplankton.
However the study had many loopholes. On of them being, chalking out the difference between natural warming and artificially induced warming by increasing temperatures. Conclusions were drawn that, they need 30-40 years more before they can depict that climate change is showing an impact on chlorophyll.
‘Ocean’s color will change in the next few decades because of the change in quantity of chlorophyll, all because of alarming global warming conditions’, research says. It has been predicted that North Atlantic ocean will top the list in reflecting this change followed by Southern Ocean.
Studies are being carried out in this respect by increasing current temperatures by 3℃, close to temperatures as expected to be in future.
According to Dr Dutkiewicz, “By the end of 21st century, a difference in the color by 50% would be noticed.”
Scientists claim that when these conditions occur, it will be a serious threat for the country. There are different types of phytoplankton. Each and every phytoplankton absorbs light differently. Thus, the climate change would bring a major change in quantity of phytoplankton in the ocean, as a result, support provided by this element to different types of food chains will get affected.
‘World will able to witness different shades of green color in the oceans’, study published in the journal Nature Communications, says.
One more phenomenon has been recorded in this regard. There is some possibility that few species of phytoplankton might respond well to warm environment. Thus, there are more chances of green regions to appear near the poles and equators, study says.
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